LINCOLN  ROOM 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
LIBRARY 


MEMORIAL 

the  Class  of  1901 

founded  by 

HARLAN  HOYT  HORNER 

and 

HENRIETTA  CALHOUN  HORNER 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign 


http://archive.org/details/intimatelettersoOOschu 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE 
STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  OF  WISCONSIN 


EDITED    BY 

JOSEPH  SCHAFER 

SUPERINTENDENT   OF  THE    SOCIETY 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ 
1841-1869 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  PUBLICATIONS 
COLLECTIONS   VOLUME   XXX 


SENATOR  CARL  SCHURZ 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE  STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 
OF  WISCONSIN 


COLLECTIONS,  VOLUME  XXX 

INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF 
CARL  SCHURZ 

1841-1869 


TRANSLATED  AND  EDITED  BY 

JOSEPH  SCHAFER 

SUPERINTENDENT  OF  THE  STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 
OF  WISCONSIN 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE 

STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  OF  WISCONSIN 
MADISON,  1928 


COPYRIGHT,   1929,  BY  THE 

STATE   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY   OF   WISCONSIN 


THE    ANTES   PRESS 
EVANSVILLE,  WISCONSIN 


PREFACE 

The  project  of  preparing  a  book  on  Carl  Schurz 
was  authorized  by  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  State 
Historical  Society  at  its  annual  meeting  in  October, 
1926.  The  approach  of  the  centenary  of  Schurz's 
birth,  March  2,  1929,  was  the  immediate  stimulus  to  the 
undertaking  which,  meeting  with  favor  in  the  Legisla- 
ture of  1927,  was  provided  for  through  the  appropria- 
tion granted  to  the  Society  for  the  biennium  beginning 
July  1,  1928. 

The  original  plan  contemplated  a  volume  to  be  made 
up  of  documents  illustrating  especially  that  portion  of 
Schurz's  career  which  pertains  to  Wisconsin,  this  state 
having  been  his  home  from  1855  to  1866.  Speeches 
were  found  printed  in  Wisconsin  newspapers,  which 
have  never  been  made  accessible  to  the  general  public, 
and  certain  other  records  were  also  assembled,  partly 
from  the  Schurz  papers  in  the  Library  of  Congress.  It 
would  have  been  practicable  to  bring  together  from  a 
variety  of  sources  a  body  of  material  which  would  have 
proved  not  only  interesting  but  historically  valuable 
enough  to  justify  publication. 

By  a  rare  piece  of  good  fortune,  however,  we  have 
been  enabled  to  secure  a  collection  of  documents  possess- 
ing a  vastly  higher  significance  than  those  just  men- 
tioned. At  New  York  City,  in  January,  1928,  George 
McAneny,  acting  on  behalf  of  Marianna  Schurz,  sole 
survivor  of  Carl  Schurz's  immediate  family,  turned 
over  to  this  Society  for  transcription,  with  the  privilege 
of  publication,  a  group  of  Schurz's  letters  ranging  in 
dates  from  the  early  1840's  to  the  year  1869.     These 


PREFACE 

in  part  illustrate  his  life  prior  to  his  settlement  in  our 
state,  but  a  heavy  proportion  of  the  whole  number  were 
written  during  the  eleven  years  when  his  legal  residence 
was  in  Watertown,  Wisconsin. 

Carl  Schurz,  from  early  boyhood,  was  a  prolific 
writer  of  intimate  letters,  and  happily  many  of  these 
had  been  preserved  so  that,  when  wanted,  they  could  be 
assembled  by  the  Schurz  family.  Theodore  Petrasch, 
his  principal  boyhood  correspondent,  came  to  America 
in  1864,  bringing  Schurz's  letters  with  him.  Professor 
Kinkel,  who  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age,  had  preserved  letters 
Schurz  wrote  to  him  and  to  the  first  Mrs.  Kinkel;  Fred- 
erick Althaus,  who  lived  in  London,  preserved  letters; 
so  did  Schurz's  parents,  both  of  whom  died  in  1876;  as 
did  also  Mrs.  Schurz,  to  whom  the  larger  part  of  his 
purely  private  letters  were  addressed. 

When,  in  1913,  Georg  Reimer,  publisher  of  the 
German  edition  of  Schurz's  memoirs  (Reminiscences 
of  Carl  Schurz.  3  vols.  New  York:  McClure's. 
1907-1908),  called  Erinnerungen,  wanted  to  fill  a  large 
part  of  his  third  volume  with  letters,  Agathe  Schurz  as- 
sembled originals  from  all  the  sources  named  and  typed 
copies  were  executed  under  her  editorship.  She  then 
sent  a  portion  of  these  copies  to  the  Berlin  publisher, 
who  printd  them  in  Erinnerungen,  volume  three,  but  she 
retained  a  still  larger  number  for  which  the  publisher 
had  no  space.  She  naturally  sent  him  what  she  thought 
would  be  most  interesting  to  German  readers.  Thus 
were  excluded  many  letters  strictly  supplementary  to 
the  printed  group,  which  are  of  highest  interest  from  the 
point  of  view  of  American  history  and  of  Schurz's 
biography. 

It  was  the  residue  left  after  supplying  material  for 

VI 


PREFACE 

that  work  which  was  turned  over  to  this  Society  by  Mr. 
McAneny  and  the  surviving  Miss  Schurz.  The  bundle 
contained  two  hundred  and  eighteen  letters.  About 
seventy  of  these  duplicated  letters  published  in  Erin- 
nerungen,  while  that  book  contains  one  hundred  and 
fourteen  which  are  not  represented  in  our  group. 
Twenty-five  of  the  latter,  in  whole  or  in  part,  had  been 
translated  and  published  in  Speeches,  Correspondence, 
and  Political  Papers  (6  vols.  New  York:  Putnam's. 
1913),  volume  one.  In  deference  to  that  important 
publication,  fostered  by  the  Carl  Schurz  Memorial  Com- 
mittee, these  have  not  been  included  in  the  present  vol- 
ume, save  that  omitted  portions  of  letters  therein 
printed  have  in  some  instances  been  translated  for  this 
publication.  In  a  few  cases  I  have  made  my  own  trans- 
lation, directly  from  the  German  text,  of  letters  which 
were  printed  in  the  above-mentioned  work.  All  of  the 
balance,  both  those  printed  in  Erinnerungen  and  those 
never  printed,  are  in  the  present  volume.  So  large  a 
proportion  of  the  letters  published  in  the  present  volume 
being  already  in  print  in  the  German,  it  was  decided  to 
avoid  the  added  expense  involved  in  a  bilingual  publica- 
tion. 

The  letters,  both  those  in  Erinnertmgen  and  those 
in  our  bundle,  extend  into  the  year  1869,  when  Schurz 
entered  upon  his  senatorial  career,  though  the  book 
leaves  off  with  his  first  letter  after  taking  the  oath  of 
office  on  March  4,  while  we  received  manuscript  letters 
extending  to  August  10,  some  of  them  highly  significant 
as  revealing  the  manner  in  which  he  attacked  his  sena- 
torial problems.  That  point  of  termination  corresponds 
with  Schurz's  own  narrative  as  contained  in  volumes 


VII 


PREFACE 

one  and  two  of  Erinnerungen,  showing  that  the  publish- 
er regarded  the  letters  as  documentary  illustrations  and 
supplements  of  the  text.  Schurz  in  his  remarkable 
autobiography  ref  ought  his  way  through  the  most  stress- 
ful and  anxious  years  of  his  life.  In  a  strain  of  exulta- 
tion, which  can  be  traced  through  the  letters  immedi- 
ately following  his  election  to  the  Senate,  he  proclaims 
that  he  has  attained  the  goal  of  his  ambition  politically, 
while  financially  he  has — after  a  long  and  bitter  struggle 
— become  independent.  He  always  considered  the  sena- 
torial term  as  the  climax  of  his  political  career,  just  as 
he  considered  his  oratory  during  the  Lincoln  campaign 
of  nine  years  earlier  the  acme  of  his  political  speech 
making.  The  year  1869  is  therefore  a  natural  point  of 
division  in  Schurz's  life,  by  far  the  most  meteoric  if  not 
the  most  significant  portion  of  it  having  been  completed 
by  that  time. 

Schurz  was  the  first  American  citizen  of  German 
birth  who  felt  himself  to  be  possessed  of  powers  of  per- 
suasion and  argument  equal  to  the  task  of  proselyting 
in  the  service  of  a  great  and  sacred  cause  millions  of 
Germans  scattered  over  a  continent.  The  demonstra- 
tion he  made  of  those  powers  in  1860  was  the  basis  of 
his  later  achievements.  It  made  him  available  for  a 
senatorship  in  a  state  where  he  had  resided  less  than  twTo 
years.  The  senatorship  in  turn  afforded  scope  for  the 
exercise  of  his  high  talent  for  practical  statesmanship 
and  shaped  the  issues  out  of  which  proceeded  the  move- 
ment for  the  organization  of  the  Liberal  Republican 
party,  to  which,  as  to  the  election  of  Lincoln,  Schurz 
and  the  liberal  Germans  contributed  so  powerfully. 
His  selection  by  President  Hayes  for  a  cabinet  post  was 


VIII 


PREFACE 

the  natural  corollary  of  his  leadership  in  the  Liberal 
Republican  movement.  Thereafter  he  had  no  public 
office,  nor  was  his  leadership  of  the  liberal  Germans  so 
complete  at  any  time  after  1881  as  it  had  been  for  two 
decades  after  1860.  Nevertheless  he  was  able  in  1884, 
in  the  interest  of  what  he  deemed  essential  political  mor- 
ality, to  guarantee  the  defeat  of  James  G.  Blaine,  an 
activity  which  entailed  a  loss  of  influence  such  as  the 
non-partisan  usually  suffers  in  a  time  of  rigorous  organ- 
ization. Thereafter  he  disregarded  party  ties  with 
almost  seeming  recklessness;  but  he  at  all  times,  with 
voice  and  pen,  earnestly  supported  policies  he  thought 
good,  and  just  as  earnestly  fought  those  he  believed  to 
be  bad.    He  died  May  14,  1908. 

This  collection  of  private  letters  of  a  distinguished 
political  leader  possesses  special  value  for  American 
history  and  biography,  as  well  as  special  interest  for  the 
general  reader.  Schurz  in  his  mature  years  was  a 
charming  letter  writer  and,  his  dominant  interest  being 
politics,  his  letters  constitute  a  kind  of  running  com- 
mentary on  the  changing  political  phases  of  the  period 
through  which  he  lived  and  wrote.  Especially  note- 
worthy are  those  written  during  the  stirring  days  of 
campaigning  in  1860,  and  those  which  follow  the  elec- 
tion of  Lincoln  and  extend  beyond  his  inauguration  to 
the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War.  The  letters  from 
Madrid  later  in  1861,  while  delightful  as  affording  a 
glimpse  of  Spanish  scenes  and  Spanish  life,  reflect  very 
little  of  European  politics,  which  of  course  was  treated 
adequately  in  his  letters  to  the  President  and  Secretary 
of  State.  The  letters  Schurz  addressed  to  Mrs.  Schurz 
during  the  war,  said  by  him  to  have  been  very  full  and 
absolutely  continuous,   designed  to  make  a  complete 

IX 


PREFACE 

record  of  his  observations  at  the  front,  were  all  lost  in 
a  depot  fire  at  Detroit  in  1866.  We  therefore  have  only 
a  few  letters  written  from  the  camp — one  to  his  daugh- 
ter, several  to  his  parents,  two  to  Petrasch.  Those  he 
wrote  from  the  South  while  traveling  at  President  John- 
son's request  to  report  on  conditions  affecting  recon- 
struction, are  in  this  file  and  they  should  be  read  in  con- 
nection with  his  famous  report. 

In  January,  1866,  Schurz  wrote  to  Petrasch  saying 
his  legal  residence  was  still  at  Watertown,  Wisconsin, 
but  that  in  six  months  he  would  be  permanently  estab- 
lished either  at  St.  Louis  or  at  Detroit.  His  family,  in 
fact,  removed  to  Detroit  in  August,  1866,  whence  it 
follows  that  the  letters  of  the  last  three  years  repre- 
sented in  this  volume  are  not  by  "Carl  Schurz  of  Wis- 
consin." But  being  by  Carl  Schurz,  the  man  whom 
Wisconsin  people  knew  as  an  intensely  ambitious,  able, 
striving,  but  frequently  disappointed  and  unfortunate 
fellow  citizen,  and  illuminating  as  they  do  the  period 
which  makes  the  turning  point  in  his  lif  e,  no  citizen  of 
the  Badger  State  can  regret  their  inclusion  in  this  pub- 
lication. 

The  translation  of  the  letters,  after  having  been 
dictated  by  me,  was  subjected  to  a  detailed  criticism  by 
a  professional  student  and  teacher  of  German.  It 
was  then  revised  by  me,  and  put  in  form  for  the  press. 
If  the  translation  shall  be  judged  to  possess  excellencies, 
it  will  owe  these  in  large  part  to  the  careful  work  of 
Johanna  Rossberg  Morgan  (Mrs.  B.  Q.  Morgan) ;  to 
Professor  B.  Q.  Morgan,  who  supplied  the  exquisite 
translation  of  the  poem  "Melancholy"  and  gave  aid  in 
other  ways;  and  to  Edna  Louise  Jacobson,  whose  rare 
competence  in  establishing  a  correct  text  for  the  printer 


PREFACE 

I  have  had  occasion  to  compliment  in  previous  publica- 
tions. For  the  defects  which  may  remain — and  these 
will  doubtless  be  all  too  numerous — I  alone  am  to  be 
held  responsible,  because  final  decisions  on  all  points 
were  my  own. 

On  behalf  of  the  State  Historical  Society  of  Wis- 
consin I  wish  to  express  special  appreciation  of  the  gen- 
erosity shown  by  George  McAneny  and  Marianna 
Schurz  in  granting  the  Society  the  use  of  the  manu- 
script letters,  and  by  Herr  Walter  de  Gruyter  of  Ber- 
lin, Germany,  successor  to  Georg  Reimer,  in  permit- 
ting us  to  make  and  print  translations  of  the  letters  in 
Erinnerungen,  volume  three. 

This  volume  professes  to  contain  letters  of  Carl 
Schurz,  yet  the  reader  will  find  two  letters  each  from 
his  mother  and  his  wife,  and  one  letter  from  Kinkel  to 
Christian  Schurz.  The  reason  for  this  will  probably 
be  apparent.  His  mother's  letters  to  Schurz  in  his  boy- 
hood shed  some  light  on  his  path  in  the  years  prior  to 
the  beginning  of  the  series  of  Schurz  letters.  Kinkel's 
letter  to  Schurz's  father  settles  positively  any  question 
about  Carl  Schurz's  agency  in  the  Kinkel  rescue,  as 
Kinkel  regarded  it.  Margarethe  Schurz's  letter  to 
Carl's  parents,  written  just  after  her  visit  to  his  camp 
on  the  Virginia  frontier,  gives  a  charming  picture  of  his 
military  life  and  is  included  for  that  reason.  For  her 
letter  from  Bethlehem  after  the  assassination  of  Lincoln 
there  is  of  course  the  double  justification  that  it  supple- 
ments Schurz's  letter  to  her  on  the  same  subject,  and 
that  it  reveals  her  own  feeling  of  loyal  devotion  to  the 
Great  Emancipator,  a  feeling  which  is  doubtless  in  part 
the  reflection  of  her  husband's  attitude  and  is  therefore 
confirmatory  of  the  views  he  expressed  at  various  times. 
Her  exclamation,  "How  glad  I  am  that  you  served  him 

XI 


PREFACE 

so  faithfully!"  is  a  kind  of  epitome  of  the  universal  out- 
pouring of  love  and  loyalty  which  the  news  of  the  trag- 
edy of  April  14,  1865,  evoked  all  over  the  North. 

Joseph  S chafer 

Madison,  Wisconsin 
June  1,  1928 


XII 


CONTENTS 

(*  indicates  the  letter  was  printed  in  Erinnerungeri) 

PAGE 

1841   *  April  27  Marianne  Schurz  to  Her  Son  Carl  Schurz  1 

1844  *  January  3  Marianne  Schurz  to  Her  Son  Carl  Schurz  1 

1845  September  28    To  Theodore  Petrasch     2 

^November  17     To  Theodore  Petrasch     4 

1846  *  January  27        To  Theodore  Petrasch     7 

*February  6         To  Theodore  Petrasch     10 

*February  16      To  Theodore  Petrasch     15 

*August  6             To  Theodore  Petrasch     20 

September  23     To  Theodore  Petrasch     25 

*September  23    To  Theodore  Petrasch     26 

November  7      To  Theodore  Petrasch     28 

*  ?                   To  Theodore  Petrasch     30 

1847  *April  1                To  Theodore  Petrasch     33 

*April  3                To  Theodore  Petrasch     37 

June  4                 To  Theodore  Petrasch     39 

1848  May  11                To  Theodore  Petrasch     42 

*May  29                To  Theodore  Petrasch     44 

*June  26               To  Theodore  Petrasch     45 

*September  18    To  Theodore  Petrasch     49 

*December  21      To  Theodore  Petrasch     50 

1849  *March  20            To  Gottfried    Kinkel    52 

*March    23           To  Theodore  Petrasch   56 

*March  27            To  Theodore  Petrasch   57 

*July  21                To  His  Parents  and  Sisters     58 

*July  23                To   His   Friends     63 

*July  31                To  His  Parents     67 

*  August  15           To  His   Parents     71 

*  August  18           To  His  Parents     74 

October  3            To  His   Parents     75 

October  9            To  His   Parents     77 

^October  20          To  Christian  Schurz     80 

xin 


CONTENTS 


1850  *  January  31  To  Christian  Schurz     83 

♦February  8  To  Christian  Schurz    84 

♦February  18  To  Christian  Schurz    85 

*September  To    ?    86 

♦November  To  His  Parents  and  Sisters 90 

♦November  Gottfried  Kinkel  to  Christian  Schurz  ...    93 

♦December  1  To  Mrs.    Kinkel    96 

December  20  To  His  Parents    96 

1851  *January  1  To  His  Parents    97 

January  7  To  His  Parents    101 

♦March  7  To  His  Parents    101 

♦June  2  To  His  Parents    103 

♦June  17  To  His  Parents    103 

♦October  25  To  His  Parents    104 

1852  ♦  April  19  To  Adolf  Meyer   107 

♦May  19  To  His    Parents    Ill 

♦July  12  To  Frederick  Althaus    113 

♦July  26  To  Frederick  Althaus    115 

♦August  4  To  Frederick  Althaus    116 

1853  ♦April  12  To  Gottfried  Kinkel 118 

1854  ♦September  22  To  His  Wife   121 

♦September  26  To  His  Wife 125 

September  30  To  His  Wife 126 

♦October  2  To  His  Wife   132 

♦October  5  To  His  Wife 135 

October  9  To  His  Wife   137 

1855  ♦  January  23  To  Gottfried   Kinkel    140 

♦March  4  To  His  Wife   142 

♦August  8  To  His  Wife 144 

August  12  To  His  Wife 146 

August  15  To  His  Wife   147 

♦August  27  To  His  Wife   148 

September  3  To  His  Wife   149 

September  4  To  His  Wife 151 

September  16  To  His  Wife   152 

September  25  To  His  Wife 152 

October  9  To  His  Wife 155 

XIV 


CONTENTS 


1855  October  15         To  His  Wife 155 

October   17        To  His  Wife 155 

♦October  21         To  His  Wife   155 

October  28         To  His  Wife 156 

October  29         To  His  Wife 157 

♦November  5       To  His  Wife   157 

♦November  19     To  His  Wife 158 

♦November  21     To  His  Wife   159 

♦November  24     To  His  Wife 159 

1856  March  8  To   Frederick   Althaus    159 

♦April  12  To  Frederick  Althaus    162 

♦April  27  To  Gottfried  Kinkel 164 

Arrival  in  Montreux 166 

August  6  To  Henry  Meyer    169 

♦November  15     To  Frederick  Althaus    171 

♦November  20     To  Henry  Meyer    173 

♦December  1       To  Gottfried  Kinkel 175 

1857  March  21  To  His  Wife   176 

March  24  To  His  Wife 177 

September  20    To  Henry  Meyer    178 

♦November  25     To  Henry  Meyer    179 

1858  ♦January  15        To  Henry  Meyer    181 

♦February  15      To  Gottfried  Kinkel 182 

♦February  23      To  Gottfried  Kinkel 185 

March  12  To  His  Wife   186 

October  18         To  Adolf  Meyer   186 

♦November  5       To  Frederick   Althaus    188 

♦December  26     To  Gottfried    Kinkel    189 

1859  ♦April  19  To  His  Wife   190 

♦April  21  To  His  Wife   191 

September  20    To  His  Wife   192 

♦September  21    To  His  Wife 194 

♦September  22    To  His  Wife   197 

♦September  27    To  His  Wife   198 

♦October  3  To  His  Wife   201 

♦November  5       To  His  Wife   202 

1860  January  7  To  His  Wife 204 

January  12         To  His  Wife   204 

XV 


CONTENTS 


1860  *  February  23 
February  27 
March  14 
*March  25 
July  1 
July  6 
July  17 
July  19 
July  20 
July  21 
July  23 
*July  29 
July  31 
August  15 
August  16 
^September  10 
^September  14 
^September  17 
September  21 
September  24 
October  2 
October  4 
October  25 
October  29 
*November  3 
*November  7 
November  10 
December  5 
December  11 
December  12 
December  20 
*December  24 
^December  27 


1861 


*  January  29 
January  31 

^February  4 
February  7 
February  9 
February  13 
February  15 

*March  7 


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Wife  247 

Wife  248 

Wife  249 


XVI 


CONTENTS 


1861  *March  13  To  His  Wife   250 

*March  28  To  His  Wife 252 

♦April  17  To  His  Wife 253 

*April  29  To  His  Wife   254 

*April  30  To  His  Wife 254 

*June  2  To  His   Parents    255 

♦August  13  To  Adolf  Meyer   256 

♦August  19  To  His   Parents    258 

♦October  11  To  Frederick  Althaus    263 

♦December  9  To  Frederick  Althaus    266 

1862  January  14  To  Adolf    Meyer    267 

♦February  2  To  His    Parents    268 

♦March  13  To  His   Parents    .  .  . 269 

♦May  5  To  His  Mother 270 

♦June  12  To  His   Parents    272 

♦July  15  Mrs.  Schurz  to  Her  Parents-in-law   .  .  .  .274 

1863  ♦January   7  To  His   Parents    278 

♦March  26  To  His  Parents 280 

♦September  10  To  His   Parents    281 

♦September  24  To  Theodore    Petrasch    282 

♦October  3  To  Theodore    Petrasch    286 

♦November  9  To  His  Daughter  Agathe    289 

December  17  To  Theodore  Petrasch 293 

♦December  23  To  Theodore  Petrasch 294 

1864  ^January  24  To  His   Parents 297 

♦February  20  To  His   Parents    299 

February  29  To  Theodore  Petrasch 300 

♦April  24  To  His   Parents    301 

♦July  5  To  His   Parents    302 

September  7  To  Theodore  Petrasch 303 

♦October    12  To  Theodore  Petrasch 304 

November  9  To  Theodore  Petrasch 311 

December  31  To  Theodore  Petrasch 314 

1865  ♦February  1  To  His  Wife   314 

February  24  To  His  Wife 315 

February  27  To  His  Wife   316 

March  4  To  His  Wife   317 

March  14  To  His  Wife   317 

XVII 


CONTENTS 


1865     March  22 
*March  25 

March  28 

March  31 
♦April  2 
♦April  3 

April  7 

April  9 
♦April   14 
♦April  21 

May  1 

May  4 

May  19 
♦May  21 

May  26 
♦June  15 
♦June  25 

July  26 

July  30 
♦August  9 

August  14 
♦September   2 
♦September  12 

September  20 
♦November  24 
♦December  5 

December  17 

December  21 

December  27 


1866 


January  2 
January  12 
January  17 
January  19 

♦January  23 
January  25 
January  26 
March  3 
April  23 

♦May  11 
July  21 
July  24 


To  Theodore  Petrasch   318 

To  Henry  Meyer    320 

To  His  Wife 324 

To  His  Wife 325 

To  His  Wife 326 

To  His  Wife 327 

To  His  Wife 327 

To  His  Wife 329 

To  His  Wife 331 

Mrs.  Schurz  to  Her  Husband 334 

To  His  Wife 335 

To  His  Wife   335 

To  His  Wife   335 

To  His  Wife   336 

To  His  Wife 337 

To  Henry  Meyer    337 

To  Frederick  Althaus    338 

To  His  Wife 342 

To  His  Wife 344 

To  His  Wife .  .345 

To  His  Wife 347 

To  His  Wife 348 

To  His  Wife 350 

To  His  Wife 352 

To  His  Wife 353 

To  His  Wife 354 

To  His  Wife 354 

To  His  Wife 355 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 355 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 356 

To  His  Wife 356 

To  His  Wife 356 

To  His  Wife 357 

To  His  Wife 357 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 359 

To  His  Wife   360 

To  His  Wife   361 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 361 

To  His  Father  [and  Mother] 362 

To  His  Wife 363 

To  His  Wife 364 

XVIII 


CONTENTS 


1866  August  2 
*August  4 

August  6 
August  15 
August  31 
September  5 
September  11 
September  12 
♦December  16 

1867  January  12 
January  31 

♦March  4 
April  17 

♦June  16 
June  27 
July  2 

♦July  8 

♦July  9 

♦July  16 
July  28 
July  29 
August  12 
August  20 

♦August  23 
August  27 
August  31 
September  10 

♦September  17 
September  21 
September  23 
October  4 
October  7 
October  12 
October  19 

♦October  26 
November  3 
November  9 
November  15 
November  22 

♦November  23 

1868  January  9 


To  His  Wife 365 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 365 

To  His  Wife   366 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 366 

To  His  Wife 366 

To  His  Wife 367 

To  His  Wife 368 

To  His  Wife 369 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 370 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 371 

To  His  Wife 372 

To  His  Wife 373 

To  His  Wife 374 

To  His  Wife 374 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 375 

To  His  Wife 377 

To  His  Wife 379 

To  His  Wife 383 

To  His  Wife 383 

To  Theodore  Petrasch .  385 

To  His  Wife 385 

To  His  Wife 386 

To  His  Wife 388 

To  His  Wife 389 

To  His  Wife 391 

To  His  Wife 392 

To  His  Wife 393 

To  His  Wife 395 

To  His  Wife 398 

To  His  Wife 400 

To  His  Wife 404 

To  His  Wife 406 

To  His  Wife 406 

To  His  Wife 408 

To  His  Wife 410 

To  His  Wife 412 

To  His  Wife 412 

To  His  Wife 416 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 416 

To  His  Wife 417 

To  Henry  Meyer   418 

XIX 


CONTENTS 


1868  February  8 
♦February  3 
♦February  24 

March  1 
*March  5 

March  20 

March  25 
♦March  29 
*April  4 

April  12 

May  11 
*May  24 
*May  24 
*August  2 
♦August  9 

*  August  16 

*  August  17 
September  7 

*November  2 
♦November  9 
*November  16 

November  23 
♦November  28 
♦November  29 

December  6 
♦December  20 

December  26 

1869  * January  3 

*  January  10 
January  13 

* January  16 

*  January  24 
♦February  16 

February  17 
♦March  10 
March  12 
March  20 
April  12 
May  30 
August  10 


To  Adolf  Meyer 419 

To  Henry  Meyer    422 

To  Gottfried   Kinkel    424 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 427 

To  His  Wife   427 

To  His  Wife 428 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 430 


To  H 
To  H 
To  H 
To  H 
To  H 
To  H 
To  H 
To  H 
To  H 
To  H 
To  H 
To  H 
To  H 
To  H 
To  H 
To  H 
To  H 
To  H 
To  H 
To  H 


To  H 
To  H 


s  Wife 430 

s  Wife 431 

s  Wife 433 

s  Wife 434 

s  Daughter  Agathe    435 

s  Wife 436 

s  Wife 438 

s  Wife 441 

s  Wife 443 

s  Daughter  Agathe   444 

s  Wife 446 

s  Wife 447 

s  Wife 449 

s  Wife 451 

s  Wife 453 

s  Wife 453 

s  Wife 454 

s  Wife 456 

s  Wife 456 

s  Wife 458 


is  Wife 459 

is  Wife 462 

To  Emil  Preetorius    463 

To  His  Wife 464 

To  His  Wife 467 

To  His  Wife 469 

To  His  Wife   470 

To  His  Wife 470 

To  Emil   Preetorius    473 

To  His  Wife 474 

To  His  Wife 476 

To  His  Wife 477 

To  Adolf  Meyer   478 


XX 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Facing  Page 
Senator  Carl  Schurz    Frontispiece 

Margarethe  Meyer  Schurz  in  1867    166 

Agathe  Schurz,  Age  13 


289 
Agathe  Schurz,  Age  23 

The  Schurz  Home  at  Watertown,  Wisconsin 416 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ 

1841-1869 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ 

Marianne  Schurz  to  Her  Son  Carl  Schurz 

Liblar,  April  27,  1841 

I  cannot  possibly  take  care  of  your  report  before 
Thursday,  for  your  father  started  for  Bonn  this  noon 
and  will  not  be  back  before  Wednesday  evening. 

Dear  Carl,  be  industrious  in  all  subjects.  Particu- 
larly, I  would  have  you  let  religious  instruction  root 
deeply,  for  that  is  the  staff  on  which  you  will  have  to 
lean.  It  must  keep  you  from  going  astray.  I  say  again, 
do  not  forget  your  prayers;  you  must  go  to  sleep  with 
God  and  rise  with  Him.  Your  father  and  mother  can- 
not be  always  at  your  side;  but  Our  Father  in  Heaven 
will  never  abandon  His  good  children;  therefore  you 
must  do  everything  to  please  both  God  and  men. 

Tell  Mrs.  Schetteler  that  I  will  look  after  your 
clothing;  but  I  do  not  know  whether  to  have  your  coat 
made  here  or  in  Cologne.  If  I  do  not  come  to  Cologne 
this  week  I  shall  come  the  early  part  of  next  week. 

Many  kind  greetings  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schette- 
ler. .  .  . 

Your  uncle  George  is  still  in  Bocklemiind  and  will 
not  return  before  Sunday. 

Marianne  Schurz  to  Her  Son  Carl  Schurz 

Liblar,  January  3,  1844 
Your  departure  today  was  very  hard  for  me.    I  shed 
many  tears  after  you  left  and  have  not  got  myself  in 

l 


2  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

hand  yet.  Was  it  your  father's  letter  which  I  found 
yesterday;  or  is  it  a  presentiment  about  the  future? 
Dear  Carl,  you  shall  want  for  nothing,  not  a  single 
thing.  You  see  how  hard  it  is  for  me  when  your  dear 
father  is  a  little  severe  with  you.  Give  us  pleasure ;  let 
it  be  your  whole  purpose  to  make  yourself  and  us  happy. 
It  depends  solely  on  your  industry  and  deportment; 
you  have  talent. 

Your  father,  indeed,  can  sometimes  be  hard,  but 
you  are  also  his  pride ;  he  is  truly  fond  of  you.  Where 
will  you  find  a  father  who  needs  his  money  so  much  and 
who  is  spending  and  has  already  spent  so  much  on  his 
child !  Think  of  your  poor  little  sisters !  I  hope,  there- 
fore, you  will  do  everything  to  give  your  parents  and 
sisters  happiness.  You  will  do  that  gladly,  won't  you? 
Also,  dear  Carl,  gladden  us  frequently  with  a  letter  that 
has  some  significance.  It  is  dreadful  to  hear  from  a 
child:  "I  shall  write  no  more  at  all  because  you  let 
others  read  my  letter."  That  is  a  cold-hearted  excuse. 
Children  must  not  conceal  anything  from  their  parents. 
That  [conduct]  gives  them  joy,  and  we  [they]  do  not 
injure  you  [the  children]  in  the  least  thereby.  Do  that, 
dear  Carl;  in  particular,  please  your  father  thereby.  I 
trust  you  will  do  it  gladly. 

Do  not  forget  your  prayers ;  think  often  of  the  dear 
God.  Then  He  will  not  forsake  you.  Keep  well  and 
cheerful,  and  study  with  pleasure. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Liblar,  September  28,  1845 
That  I  am  still  unable  to  give  you  definite  informa- 
tion about  our  removal  to  Bonn  is  owing  to  unforeseen 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ      3 

circumstances.  The  matter  will  not  be  settled  until 
Thursday.  There  is,  however,  the  greatest  probability 
that  we  shall  spend  our  best  years  together.  It  is  super- 
fluous to  add  how  much  I  rejoice  in  leaving  good  old, 
respectable,  stupid  Cologne,  to  live  in  a  romantic  region, 
by  your  side.  With  respect  to  quarters,  I  would  request 
that  you  notify  me  of  the  best  [available?],  since  it  will 
be  necessary  for  me  to  be  in  Bonn  before  you.  If  your 
father  should  not  come  to  Bonn  after  Friday  or  Satur- 
day, we  might  (with  your  consent)  have  the  selection  of 
a  dwelling,  it  being  understood  that  it  suits  you  and  your 
family  to  have  us  live  together.  But  it  would  be  best  if 
we  could  have  a  personal  talk  about  the  matter  in  ad- 
vance. We  all  regret  that  you  cannot  visit  us  for  a  few 
days  during  the  present  vacation.  Perhaps  this  might 
still  be  arranged,  particularly  if  I  tell  you  that  there  is 
going  to  be  a  big  hunt  on  Tuesday  or  Wednesday.  For 
me  to  be  here  alone  is  so  insufferably  stupid  that  I  can 
no  longer  entertain  a  reasonable  thought.  Yet  you  ask 
what  is  doing  in  poetry!  It  is  gone  from  me  when  I  am 
alone,  and  even  when  not  alone  it  eludes  me.  I  bid  you 
come,  and  await  you  most  anxiously.  Autumnal  nature 
at  best  disposes  to  melancholy,  and  when  one  is  so  ut- 
terly alone — you  can  imagine  it.  I  am  truly  frittering 
my  life  away.  Still,  I  believe  I  am  gathering  some  im- 
pressions for  the  future,  so  that  the  days  here  may  not 
prove  quite  fruitless.  In  short,  I  hope  and  long  for  our 
prospective  companionship  in  Bonn.  In  regard  to  your 
tenth  departure  I  can  only  pity  you. 

I  have  been  ill  for  several  days  but  am  now  quite 
well  again. 

The  worthy  brothers  Winterschladen  are  right  tire- 
some subjects,  but  they  send  greetings.  Let  us  hope  if 
possible  for  your  early  arrival.  ...  A  fine  impression 


4  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

of  my  prose  style  you  will  derive  from  this  letter.     (I 
am  not  at  all  in  a  writing  mood. ) 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Cologne,  November  17,  1845 
I  have  received  your  letter  and  have  conscientiously 
and  dutifully  carried  out  your  instructions.  Dreadful 
institution,  this  pension,  for  young  lovers!  I  pity  you 
from  my  heart.  I  am  glad  you  have  become  a  Frederi- 
cian.  I  have  been  at  your  house  and  have  delivered  the 
quarterly,  likewise  Hatem  and  Suleikha.  Holscher  has 
not  yet  come  with  the  booklet. 

Recently  I  read  something  from  Lord  Byron,  but 
must  say  I  do  not  share  the  almost  universal  opinion  one 
hears  expressed  concerning  him.  His  poetical  narra- 
tives (at  least  those  I  have  read:  Beppo,  A  Vision  of 
Judgment ,  The  Siege  of  Corinth,  Parisina,  Mazeppa) 
are  in  part  very  deficient  in  prose  content  and  state- 
ment, and  also  suffer  to  some  degree  from  an  extremely 
heavy  wit.  With  surprise  I  read  and  reread,  and  with 
the  best  intention  of  finding  something  perfect  in  them ; 
but  this  they  did  not  yield  to  my  zealous  endeavor.  Most 
of  them  seemed  pretty  flat.  Besides  these,  I  have  seen 
several  of  Byron's  dramatic  works  and,  to  a  large  extent, 
found  them  in  keeping  with  the  epical  writings.  Man- 
fred suited  me  best  of  all,  although  even  here  one  cannot 
fail  to  note  a  certain  imitation  of  Faust,  I  also  read  the 
tragedy  of  Werner,  which  struck  me  as  quite  mediocre, 
especially  since,  that  same  evening,  I  saw  Hamlet  per- 
formed. There  is  something  great  about  a  Shakespeare. 
When  a  man  contemplates  the  tremendous  effect  of  such 
a  drama  upon  the  hearts  and  spirits  of  the  auditors,  he 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ      5 

would  like  to  be  nothing  but  a  dramatist.  The  dramatist 
enjoys  his  own  poetry  most  of  all,  even  more  than  the 
lyric  poet,  who  hears  his  resounding  songs  from  the  lips 
of  the  common  people.  He  produces  the  greatest  gen- 
eral effect.  If,  however,  one  considers  how  prodigious 
the  art  and  its  difficulty  as  compared  with  one's  own 
powers,  one  would  not  want  to  become  a  dramatist. 
Nevertheless,  asking  pardon  for  my  vanity,  I  would  be 
one.  Whether  or  not  I  was  born  to  be  one  will  soon  be 
determined ;  there  will  always  be  time  enough  to  retreat, 
and  the  time  spent  in  such  effort  is  never  wasted  so  far 
as  my  education  is  concerned,  and  it  is  but  the  curing  of 
a  disease  from  which  otherwise  I  should  have  suffered  all 
my  life.  I  shall  soon  acquaint  you  more  fully  with  my 
plans.  I  have  still  another  dramatic  composition  of 
Lord  Byron's:  The  Changeling.  It  is  possible  that  I 
have  not  understood  it,  for  I  really  do  not  know  what 
he  is  driving  at. 

Enough  of  Lord  Byron.  Recently  I  attempted  to 
write  a  ghazal  [an  oriental  poetic  form],  for 

To  exercise  oneself  in  new  artistic  practice 
Is  a  sacred  duty. 

"Attempted  to  write,"  understand  me!  No  severe 
birth  pains  did  I  have,  for  I  made  things  rather  easy  for 
myself.  On  account  of  its  newness  I  give  it  a  place 
here,  though  it  really  is  not  worth  the  trouble.1  I  ask 
your  indulgence,  for  it  is  my  first  (finished)  effort, 
whose  imperfections  I  can  myself  see  very  well. 

Otherwise,  I  have  lately  been  comparatively  unpro- 
ductive and  only  study  men — an  interesting  subject, 
however.     It  is  one  I  have  always  followed,  but  now 

1  We  have  omitted  the  twenty-six  lines  of  the  poem,  of  which  every  al- 
ternate line  ends  with  "nicht." 


6  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

with  plan  and  purpose.  It  is  singular  that  we  under- 
stand least  how  to  portray  the  character  of  common 
people,  inasmuch  as  this  remains  eternally  the  same.  I 
believe  that  you  can  study  the  character  of  men  in  the 
lowest  middle  ages  through  those  of  today.  Always  the 
same  spiritual  darkness,  the  same  fanaticism,  the  same 
natural  wit,  the  same  incompatibility,  at  least  in  respect 
to  fundamentals!  On  the  other  hand,  I  do  not  call  it 
singular  that  we  know  how  to  work  out  in  ourselves  the 
noble  and  idealistic  traits  but  not  the  common  and 
deeper-lying.  It  is  peculiarly  a  trait  of  the  human  mind 
that  it  can  always  think  itself  into  regions  above  its  own, 
but  into  lower  with  difficulty  or  not  at  all.  Therefore, 
Shakespeare  knows  so  well  how  to  delineate  the  folk 
character  and  folk  wit  because,  until  his  riper  years,  he 
belonged  to  the  lower  classes ;  for  it  is  known  that  in  his 
youth  he  was  a  poacher.  That  at  least  contributed  to  his 
delightful  descriptions,  for  surely  he  to  whom  Nature 
has  sat  will  paint  her  more  convincingly.  .  .  . 

It  really  grieves  me  to  leave  Cologne.  I  have  been 
considerably  befriended  by  most  of  the  teachers  (now 
also  beyond  expectation  by  Grysar),  and  the  stupid 
philosophizing  at  the  Gymnasium  in  Bonn  suits  me  not 
at  all.  But  I  can  live  with  my  family  and  there  will  be 
many  agreeable  things  there  for  me;  therefore  I  will- 
ingly submit.  You  asked  recently  if  I  was  acquainted 
with  Nattmann.  Oh,  yes,  but  only  in  a  singular  way; 
we  shall  soon  get  into  a  long  dispute  during  which  we 
are  likely  to  become  mutually  acquainted.  He  praises 
my  description  and  language  as  (so  he  told  Putz)  dis- 
tinguished and  polished,  but  he  was  not  content  that  I 
had  based  education  and  the  entire  life  of  the  soul  upon 
freedom;  in  other  words,  that  I  present  as  antagonistic 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ      7 

to  freedom  and  as  strange  to  humanity  all  instincts  and 
voices  of  nature.    We  shall  discuss  this  more  in  detail. 

Could  you  possibly  help  me  to  a  history  of  Old  Eng- 
lish which  is  quite  detailed?  The  purpose  of  this — next 
time!  If  you  scare  up  one,  read  the  history  of  King 
Edwy  (955-959)  and  write  me  whether  or  not  you 
would  like  him  as  the  hero  of  a  drama;  leaving  aside, 
naturally,  the  barbarisms  which  occur  in  it.    Farewell! 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Cologne,  January  27,  1846 
Today  I  visited  your  family  and  learned  with  regret 
that  you  would  probably  be  here  on  Sunday,  the  same 
day  I  expect  to  go  to  Bonn.  I  learned  that  you  were 
going  to  move  and  that  the  question  of  your  going  to 
live  with  my  family  still  presented  some  difficulties.  In 
order,  if  possible,  to  remove  these,  I  should  like  to  meet 
you  in  Bonn.  If  you  are  bent  on  coming  to  Cologne  for 
the  holidays  I  beg  you  to  remain  till  Saturday  evening, 
because  I  would  then  meet  you,  arriving  about  3:30  by 
rail.  There  will  still  be  time  after  that  to  get  away.  It 
would  please  me  if  you  could  spend  those  days  in  Bonn, 
and  moreover  the  possibility  exists  since  it  depends 
wholly  on  your  own  will.  I  would  gladly  spend  the  time 
here  were  I  not  coerced  by  a  projected  improvement  in 
my  pecuniary  circumstances.  So  be  it,  therefore.  If 
you  have  anything  to  oppose  to  this,  I  beg  you  to  write 
me  about  the  difficulty  of  changing  the  plans. 

I  have  been  sick  several  days,  following  which  I  be- 
came frightfully  stupid.  I  can  produce  nothing  sensible 
any  more,  and  since  the  Christmas  holidays  I  have  made 


8  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

but  six  lines,  on  which  I  do  not  even  trust  myself  to 
pass  judgment.    Listen: 

MELANCHOLY2 

(Phantasy) 

Oppressive  fall  the  burning  rays 
Upon  the  weary  valley's  ways. 
The  brooklet  creeps,  and  mute  the  breezes  all; 
Upon  their  stems  the  blossoms  droop  and  fall. 
A  single  rose,  all  withered,  faint,  and  frail, 
Looks  yearning  tow'rd  the  sky's  mysterious, 
darksome  pale. 

I  give  you  till  Saturday  to  think  over  whether  or  not 
this  is  my  best  or  my  worst.  I  do  not  know,  but  it  is  one 
of  the  two. 

What  are  you  really  up  to?  Have  you  written  noth- 
ing new?  No  verses?  I  address  this  to  your  conscience. 
Take  care  that  you  do  not  become  too  hard  a  jurist. 
What  would  not  I  do  were  I  in  your  circumstances! 
Among  friends  of  high  spirit  and  force,  where  every- 
thing stimulates  and  everything  helps!  And  here — I 
am  utterly,  utterly  alone;  only  von  Weise  associates 
with  me.  He  is  the  sole  one  and  I  have  great  regard 
for  him ;  but  the  time  is  not  propitious,  it  does  not  bloom 
as  it  did  last  summer.  Then  it  was  quite  different. 
Earlier  I  placed  great  hopes  in  our  correspondence;  I 
say  earlier,  for  I  have  been  mistaken;  as  to  the  reason, 

a  Translation  by  Professor  B.  Q.  Morgan,  of  the  German  department 
of  the  University  of  Wisconsin.     Following  is  the  original  German: 

Schwermuth 
(Phantasie) 
Schwer  driickt  der  Sonne  Gluthenstrahl 
Hernieder  auf  das  miide  Thai. 
Es  schleicht  der  Bach,  und  alle  Liifte  schweigen, 
Die  Bliithen  senken  sich  an  ihren  Zweigen. 
Und  eine  Rose,  matt  und  welk  und  bleich 
Starrt  sehnend  in  des  Blau's  geheimes  dunkles  Reich. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ      9 

ask  yourself.  I  shudder  always  when  I  think  of  my 
prospective  life  in  Bonn.  When  we  two  have  just 
spoken  of  academic  liberty,  and  I  remember  that  I 
shall  have  to  learn  Latin  vocables  by  rote,  or  to  con  a 
French  lesson,  that  will  make  a  strong  contrast  in  my 
mind.  If  that  period  were  only  over!  One  feels  so 
timid ;  believes  oneself  not  entitled  to  take  a  bolder  step 
in  the  sanctuary  of  the  mind  so  long  as  one  is  a  gymna- 
siast.  Could  you  but  hear  how  Vosen  cuts  loose  on  Spi- 
noza, Hegel,  and  Shelling;  it  is  positively  a  comedy! 
Recently  he  said  of  me  that  I  might  amount  to  some- 
thing had  I  not  flung  myself  in  the  wrong  direction. 
Honor  and  praise  enough ! 

I  am  considering  writing  something  in  the  nature  of 
a  novel.  The  subject  shall  be  the  contrast  between  the 
ideal  world  in  the  mind  of  a  young  poet  and  the  crass 
prose  of  actual  everyday  life.    How  do  you  like  it? 

I  should  like  to  know  that  your  dramatic  idea  had 
been  condemned.  For  least  of  all  must  a  young  writer 
begin  as  a  plagiarist.  The  Wochenstube  [lying-in 
room]  of  Prutz  pleases  for  the  reason  that  it  is  the  first 
of  its  kind.  And  truly,  God  save  us  from  the  horde  of 
imitators!  The  idea  of  making  the  emancipation  of 
women  the  theme  of  such  a  composition  may  not  be  bad 
in  itself,  but  to  bring  the  heroines  all  together  without 
falling  into  a  hundred  improbabilities  and  to  build  up  a 
correct  dramatic  action — that  is  truly  a  herculean  labor. 
And  then  the  material  for  your  adored  parabase  [choral 
interlude]  !  Consider  the  purpose  of  the  comedy.  With 
your  parabase  you  draw  the  whole  business  into  the 
field  of  seriousness,  destroy  the  whole  illusion,  and  then 
do  the  opposite  of  what  you  should  have  done.  I  pray 
you,  read  Lessing  on  the  subject. 


10  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

What  I  have  so  often  said  about  the  much  talked  of 
parabase  you  will  find  fully  confirmed  by  the  content 
of  the  choral  interludes  of  Aristophanes,  which  is  quite 
different  in  character  from  that  of  Prutz.  With  the 
former  the  choral  interlude  signified  something;  but 
Prutz  says  in  it  only  what  he  would  and  should  have  said 
in  the  piece  itself,  but  what  he  did  not  and  could  not  say. 
Read  Aristophanes  and  satisfy  yourself.  Concerning 
all  of  this,  more  when  we  meet.    Hearty  greetings. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Cologne,  February  6,  1846 
The  Manila  cigars  you  ordered  are  here  at  your  dis- 
position, and  you  have  only  to  state  how  and  when  they 
shall  be  forwarded  to  Bonn. 

I  read  Alamontade  with  great  desire;  must  say, 
however,  that  it  did  not  meet  my  expectations.  The 
philosophy  is  indeed  wholesome,  noble,  flattering,  but 
not  sufficiently  mathematical  to  succeed  as  such.  Zschok- 
ke  is  more  poet  than  philosopher.  Besides,  all  of  this  is 
brought  together  clumsily  and  without  insight.  In  the 
actual  novel,  as  it  stands,  more  than  half  the  matter  is 
superfluous,  though  it  could  easily  have  been  more 
closely  interwoven  with  it.  Zschokke  wanted  to  write  a 
philosophical  novel,  but  he  has  written  the  philosophical 
without  the  novel,  and  the  novel  without  the  philosophy; 
the  two  stand  separated,  side  by  side.  Zschokke  writes 
elegantly,  but  his  elegance  often  has  to  support  the  rot- 
tenness of  his  thinking.  His  friendliness,  too  often  over- 
tender,  disturbs  and  troubles.  You  hardly  understand 
how  Abbe  Willon  was  able  to  get  his  breath  amidst  the 
plentiful  embraces  to  which  he  was  subjected.    Alamort- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  11 

tade  is  the  original  of  an  attempt  to  write  a  distinguished 
philosophical  novel  with  less  than  distinguished  powers. 
On  account  of  its  attractive  philosophy  it  has  had  a  long 
lease  of  popularity,  but  time  will  soon  stick  it  under  the 
bench,  inasmuch  as  we  demand  our  philosophy  un- 
sugared,  and  particularly  without  this  sentimental  color- 
ing. Throughout  this  novel  there  appears  an  unripe 
manner;  still,  were  it  the  work  of  a  young  writer,  it 
would  justify  great  hopes. 

I  should  be  glad  to  come  back  to  your  previous  letter, 
and  you  will  trust  my  solicitous  friendship  to  take  an 
ardent  interest  in  your  welfare.  You  complain  about 
your  circumstances;  complain  that  your  life  is  "one 
which  hangs  upon  the  passing  moment,"  that  your  en- 
joyment is  like  "the  unconscious  pleasure  of  a  dream," 
whose  end  is  the  awakening  to  dissatisfaction,  often  to 
painful  remorse— but  why  all  this?  Who  really  de- 
termined your  circumstances?  Who  but  yourself?  You 
feel  lonesome  among  people,  but  to  what  purpose  have 
you  friends  there?  You  are  dissatisfied  with  the  regula- 
tion of  the  life  there,  and  it  is  yours  to  make  that  life 
more  agreeable  to  yourself. 

You  bemoan  your  fate,  that  it  has  made  unattain- 
able your  yearned  for  and  striven  for  goal — but  has  it? 
Pecuniary  circumstances  cannot  hinder  you,  for  you  will 
be  docent  before  being  advocate,  and  perhaps  professor 
before  solicitor.  You  speak  of  a  wasted  semester — 
better  lose  a  semester  than  a  life.  It  will  cost  you  only 
words  to  change  your  profession  and  take  up  what  will 
gratify  you,  for  your  father  will  not  require  what  will 
cost  your  life's  happiness.  You  regret  bitterly  that  you 
have  not  been  able  to  attain  what  you  have  long  striven 


12  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

for,  that  you  did  not  at  the  outset  prepare  for  a  differ- 
ent career.    But  what  career? 

You  say  it  is  not  possible  to  your  mind  to  "recog- 
nize a  restriction  in  its  flight  and  in  its  early  efforts, n 
and  if  it  must  do  so  its  very  being  will  be  shattered. 
Will  and  must?  You  understand  but  poorly  the  po- 
tentiality of  your  own  soul.  Who  restricts  your  flight? 
Your  efforts  ?  Who  coerces  your  spirit  to  acknowledge 
a  limitation?  I  assure  you  that  no  one  disturbs  your 
flight  and  limits  your  spirit  save  your  own  will.  You 
are  unhappy,  but  you  will  it.  Become  clearer  in  your 
own  mind,  and  your  spirit  will  effect  a  heroic  flight  over 
your  unhappiness  and  smile  courageously  upon  it.  And 
this  smile  will  save  the  spirit  from  ruin,  for  the  can  de- 
pends largely  upon  the  will. 

You  write  that  no  office,  position,  no  profession,  will 
harmonize  with  your  natural  disposition — but,  pardon 
me  if  I  refuse  to  believe  it;  and  see  here,  you  yourself 
don't  believe  it.  It  is  nothing  but  phantasy,  an  exag- 
gerated idea.  This  flight  of  the  spirit  strives  for  a  kind 
of  freedom  which  I  would  call  nonsensical  because  noth- 
ing can  come  of  it.  The  spirit,  particularly  your  own, 
seeks  to  be  free,  but  always  within  reason. 

I  assume  there  is  nothing  wrong  with  you  beyond  an 
unusual  attack  of  melancholy,  occasioned  by  the  lack 
of  intimate  family  life  (you  smile  perhaps,  but  do  not 
be  ashamed  of  it — it  is  true)  and  the  lack  of  restriction, 
this  last  being  peculiarly  the  cause  of  the  unproductive- 
ness of  your  mind.  You  are  melancholy  (in  German — 
Du  hast  Grillen) ;  and  what  heals  this  more  certainly 
than  friendly  intercourse  ?  Souls  like  yours  are  not  able 
to  detach  themselves  from  its  beneficent  influence. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  13 

Friendship  resembles  the  moon.    When  night  falls  dark  on 

the  spirit, 
Sheds  she  with  tenderer  light  radiant  beams  thereupon. 

Now  I  want  to  complain  too.  Unhappy  I  am  not 
nor  have  been  since  a  certain  time  which  makes  an  epoch 
in  my  youth  more  distinct  probably  than  you  would  be- 
lieve— since  I  learned  to  know  you.  You  were  my  first 
friend,  and  melancholy  flees  friendship — but  I  am  so 
frightfully  empty.  All  is  so  dull  in  my  head,  so  dried 
up,  so  sluggish,  so  stupid.  I  can  do  nothing  but  read, 
and  hardly  that.  If  I  did  not  believe  that  it  was  due  to 
my  cold  and  the  eternal  running  of  the  nose  I  should 
despair. 

You  may  take  it  as  a  proof  that  I  have  lost  my  judg- 
ment when  I  hold  that  the  last  six  verses  (this  mediocre 
Melancholy)  are  the  best  of  my  poetical  writings;  this 
is  still  my  positive  conviction.  I  beg  you  to  read  the 
thing  over  again.  It  is  inconceivable  to  me  [that  you 
should  regard  them  as  you  say?].  You  recall  perhaps 
that  I  developed  a  dramatic  plan  this  winter.  I  thought 
the  matter  over  further  and  met  with  unconquerable 
difficulties,  so  that  I  came  to  see  that  my  powers  were 
far  too  weak  for  the  task,  my  versatility  too  little  de- 
veloped, and  that  I  must  study  much  more.  For  the 
present,  I  have  put  aside  all  dramatic  plans,  and  doubt 
exceedingly  if  I  shall  ever  accomplish  anything  in  that 
line.  I  have  achieved  a  degree  of  clarity  respecting 
myself,  and  judge  my  capabilities  as  promising  to  make 
me,  in  time,  a  pretty  tolerable  quill-driver.  For,  what 
have  I  achieved  in  lyric  poetry?  Only  occasionally,  and 
rarely,  did  a  lyrical  poem  come  to  me,  about  which,  too, 
judgments  differed.  An  epic  poem  never  came  to  me, 
and  I  give  up  the  drama.    I  see  that  the  productions  of 


14  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

my  youth  are  altogether  like  those  which  escaped  the 
youthful  pen  of  a  later  novelist.  You  see  that  I  am 
despondent,  but  still  not  unhappy.  I  feel  on  the  con- 
trary that  I  have  taken  a  more  philosophical  direction, 
for  I  am  laboring  earnestly  to  become  clear  in  my  views. 
Heretofore  I  only  accepted  this,  rejected  that,  and  not 
without  valid  grounds  for  my  action ;  but  I  have  not  yet 
classified  those  I  accepted  and  those  I  rejected.  They 
stand  side  by  side  in  my  mind,  but  not  logically  con- 
nected. I  have  not  yet  made  combinations  and  infer- 
ences, which  will  now  keep  me  busy  for  some  time.  The 
results  I  shall  soon  be  able  to  impart  to  you,  if  they  in- 
terest you.  You  may  call  it  nonsensical  and  answer  it 
with  a  shrug,  but  to  me  it  is  not  yet  a  matter  of  indiffer- 
ence. Do  not  imagine  that  I  was  in  any  measure  in- 
fluenced to  this  course  by  Alamontade ;  rather  a  set  in 
that  direction  drove  me  to  inquire  about  Alamontade, 
out  of  whose  sugared  philosophy,  by  the  way,  little  that 
is  profound  can  be  drawn. 

As  all  kinds  of  crazy  ideas  come  to  me  now  and  then, 
I  have  now  concluded  to  write  something  of  a  national 
character.  How  far  I  shall  get  with  it  I  already  foresee. 
But  the  effort  always  pays  for  the  trouble,  and  I  am 
still  undecided  about  the  course  for  which  I  am  best 
fitted,  since  I  feel  an  equal  inclination  toward  all  and 
have  no  special  gift  for  any  specific  type  of  effort.  What 
I  want  to  find  out  is  where  I  can  gain  a  firm  footing  and 
how  much  I  shall  have  to  give  up. 

Recently  I  read  several  legends  of  the  Rhineland. 
You  will  recall  that  last  summer  you  promptly  con- 
demned  poetic  Legends — I  begin  to  feel  that  they  are 
the  profoundest,  most  beautiful  and  real  of  all  poetry. 
Of  course,  th.il,  depends  largely  on  one's  conception  of 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  15 

it.  A  legend  must  not  be  told  like  a  fairy  tale,  though 
as  such  it  may  also  have  its  charm.  In  legendary  poetry 
a  high  lyric  movement  unites  with  an  epic  interest,  not 
to  mention  a  profound,  inexhaustible  symbolism.  In  a 
legend  you  find  the  tenderest  heart-chords  touched;  you 
find  suggestions  of  your  own  most  poetical  feelings. 
Let  me  give  you  an  example — the  legend  of  Roland. 
Does  it  lack  anything  of  being  true  poetry?  Nor  is  it 
the  best  selection  from  among  worse  specimens ;  only  one 
of  many.  What  is  the  charm  in  most  of  Uhland's  bal- 
lads? Precisely  this  pure,  light,  natural  conception  of 
the  legend,  rightly  adapted  treatment,  and  the  childlike, 
mediaeval  naivite  which  is  inherent  in  large  measure  in 
the  legend  itself.  Of  course  there  is  no  thought  of  the 
transcription  of  a  "cow  legend"  (you  will  recollect) ,  for 
one  does  not  pick  out  the  very  worst,  and  on  the  other 
hand  you  cannot  judge  the  species  from  the  prosiness 
of  one  creation.  Also,  it  goes  without  saying  that  the 
author  must  do  his  share. 

I  should  like  to  urge  you  to  productiveness  again — 
to  the  will-to-do.  Time  is  too  glorious  and  youth  too 
fleeting.  With  it  [youth]  the  heaven-aspiring  flame 
sinks,  sinks,  murkily  down  into  the  ashes.  Truly,  a  man 
can  extend  his  youth,  extend  it  very  much  (as  Goethe 
indicated),  but  not  to  use  does  not  mean  to  lengthen  it. 
I  pray  you — do  not  withdraw  from  the  world ! 

I  trust  we  shall  see  each  other  on  Shrove  Tuesday, 
whatever  the  malady  may  be  that  causes  you  to  remain 
there.  .  .  . 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Cologne,  February  16,  1846 
Last  Saturday  and  Sunday  I  expected  you  every 
moment,  but  in  vain.    Did  you  not  come  to  Cologne  at 


16  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

all?  It  would  have  been  very  wrong  not  to  visit  me. 
Shrove  Tuesday  I  shall  hope  at  any  rate  to  meet  you  in 
Bonn. 

I  wondered  at  your  letter  and  must  say  I  was  often 
tempted  to  regard  it  largely  as  ironical,  particularly  cer- 
tain portions  in  a  modern-humorous  tone. 

Your  humble  opinion  on  the  subject  of  being  in  love 
is  truly  open  to  correction.  Such  things  never  entered 
my  head  and,  as  I  believe,  will  not  enter  it  soon.  It  is 
strange  that  you  are  so  ready  to  judge  all  others  by 
yourself.  Please  regard  my  indisposition  as  a  mere  cold 
in  the  head,  though  it  might  even  seem  to  you  the  most 
prosaic  ever.  What  you  write  about  Alamontade  is  all 
very  good  except  for  your  tremendous  praise  of  the 
novel.  I  pray  you  read  it  again  and  you  will  have  to 
confess  that  it  must  have  a  tremendous,  fabulous  charm 
in  order  to  produce  such  unheard-of  happiness  in  the 
eighteenth  century.  Improbable  situations  are  not  only 
found  here  and  there,  but  are  numerous.  Faultless  you 
call  the  elegance  of  the  writer;  praise  which  I  should 
call  a  trifle  strong,  for  I  am  convinced  that  you  yourself 
would  here  and  there  have  written  far  better.  You  say 
the  narrative  keeps  the  reader  in  suspense.  But  does 
not  the  Wandering  Jew  of  Eugene  Sue  do  the  same? 
Only  in  a  somewhat  though  not  very  different  manner. 

You  forthwith  condemn  my  striving  to  gain  clear- 
ness respecting  myself,  and  remark,  a  trifle  mockingly, 
that  I  may  give  you  an  account  of  it  when  I  have  finished 
with  it.  But  what,  my  wise  friend,  if  I  am  now  finished 
with  it  ?  You  say  I  shall  become  tired  of  that  thing,  but 
once  more  you  judge  from  yourself.  It  amused  me 
very  well  indeed.  I  am  eager  for  your  views  on  the 
subject,  but  believe  that  I  can  anticipate  them.    I  un- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     17 

derstand  how  you  can  regard  the  whole  effort  as  futile, 
for  you  have  divested  yourself  of  all  belief  and  have  then 
taken  the  trouble  to  prove  that  man  does  not  need  to 
believe.  Then  have  you  arrived  at  a  pure  indiff  erentism. 
But  this  entire  business,  particularly  the  indifferentism, 
I  am  obliged  to  reject.  What,  indeed,  can  interest  you 
if  you  are  indifferent  to  yourself?  And  are  you  not  in- 
different toward  yourself  if  you  want  to  be  indifferent 
toward  everything  of  that  kind?  Whereby  it  can  be 
seen  that  you  only  wish  to  be  indifferent,  but  really  can- 
not be.  One  must  have  an  opinion,  and  whoever  denies 
this  only  wants  to  startle  with  a  phrase.  A  man  must 
know  what  he  knows  and  what  he  believes ;  he  must  not 
believe  that  he  cannot  know  anything  and  then  still  know 
the  contrary. 

My  first  question  was :  Must  I  believe  ?  I  ask  it  of 
myself.  Reject  the  existence  of  God;  does  not  there- 
upon a  voice  in  yourself  say  you  have  lied  or  boasted? 
Do  you  not  have  the  refutation  in  yourself  when  you  re- 
ject him?  I  know  that  you  accept  some  god  (say  what 
you  will) .  Do  you  know  that  he  is ?  A  thousand  proofs 
for  it  there  are  that  are  not  evident;  but  one  which  is 
irrefutable.  It  does  not  carry  you  to  a  complete  convic- 
tion, and  still  you  see  that  you  cannot  argue  it  away. 
You  believe  it.  You  see  the  material  world  around  you, 
but  are  you  certain  that  it  is  as  you  see  it?  There  is  no 
proof,  but  you  believe  it  on  the  not  evident  testimony  of 
your  senses.  Take  the  systems  of  all  philosophers  and 
see  how  far  they  carry  their  belief  and  their  knowledge, 
and  we  observe  that  their  belief  surpasses  their 
knowledge  twice  over.  They  even  believe  what  they 
believe  they  know,  and  they  often  expect  in  their  pupils  a 
belief  which  sometimes  borders  on  the  unbelievable.    A 


18  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

man  has  to  believe  in  something  in  order  not  to  go  mad. 
I  trust  you  will  see  that.  (You  now  see  me  on  the 
straightest  way  to  become  a  Catholic.) 

But  what  shall  I  believe  ?  Shall  I  fall  back  upon  the 
old  idolatries  ?  Shall  I  adapt  myself  to  a  system  ?  But 
how  many  systems  have  a  claim  on  me  ?  Almost  all  there 
are.  All  expect  great  belief  of  me,  the  one  more  and 
crazier,  the  other  less  and  more  sensible,  but  all  more 
than  I  have  in  myself.  A  system  lies  prepared  in  all 
human  hearts,  but  these  fashion  and  disfigure  it.  "There 
is  a  God!"  my  soul  proclaims.  "There  is  a  God!"  says 
a  voice  in  the  cannibal's  breast.  I  see  Him  smiling  sym- 
pathetically through  the  whole  creation,  call  Him 
Father  and  love  Him.  The  cannibal  merely  hears  Him 
thunder,  calls  Him  the  thunderer  and  fears  Him.  The 
ancient  Greek  called  Him  Zeus,  personified  His  quali- 
ties in  his  nimble  fancy,  and  smiled  at  Him  as  a  fatherly 
brother  in  whom  he  discovered  the  transition  to  self. 
The  Jew  prostrated  himself  before  Him  and  called  Him 
Jehovah,  the  mighty  creator,  the  ruler  of  all.  The 
Christian  also  made  himself  a  God,  out  of  whom  fancy 
and  reason  created  a  wondrous  monster — but  enough 
of  this!  Name  me  a  people  that  has  no  god.  Name 
a  person  who  seriously  denies  Him.  The  inward  voice 
speaks  irrefutably  and  we  believe.  Does  not  a  voice 
in  me  speak  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul?  There  is 
no  proof  which  amounts  to  a  mathematical  demonstra- 
tion. But  is  not  that  voice  again  universal?  Name  a 
people  which  does  not  believe  in  a  life  after  death! 
Various,  indeed,  yet  issuing  logically  from  the  nature  of 
the  peoples.  The  Greek  loved  a  beautiful  heaven,  a 
thoroughly  joyous  existence;  yet,  in  his  temperate  na- 
ture, is  satisfied  to  find  on  the  other  side  the  shadow  of 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  19 

his  earthly  being.  The  German  was  less  temperate. 
His  Valhalla  was  a  roystering  beer  hall  where  men  could 
contentedly  gather  to  boast,  bicker,  and  fight,  but  all  in 
greatest  felicity.  The  serious  Pythagorean,  accustomed 
to  keep  in  view  the  goal  and  purpose  of  existence,  lets 
his  soul  wander  till,  in  another  state,  it  becomes  what  in 
this  it  could  not  be.  The  Christ  unpityingly  drags  the 
poor  soul  around  for  thousands  of  years  in  purifying 
flames,  and  he  also  has  a  transmigration  of  souls,  which 
however  is  not  half  so  aesthetic  and  delicate  as  that  of 
Pythagoras.  But  all  live  after  death,  except  perhaps 
a  pig  let  out  of  Epicurus'  herd,  which  drowned  its  soul 
in  wine  and  choked  to  death  in  gulping  its  food.  Any- 
way, it  is  easy  to  infer  the  character  of  a  people  from  its 
god  and  its  idea  of  the  future  life.  Furthermore,  the 
fundamental  features  of  morality  are  the  property  of 
every  individual,  though  variously  developed.  Every- 
one has  the  ten  commandments  in  his  own  breast,  and  I 
cannot  think  of  anything  more  nonsensical  than  to  com- 
pel a  child  to  recite  them.  This  is  the  revelation  which 
every  human  being  has  heard,  which  everyone  can  under- 
stand because  he  carries  it  in  his  own  breast. 

This  is  my  belief,  and  morality  is  my  religion.  I 
believe  the  beliefs  of  all  nations  and  have  the  religion 
of  humanity.  Do  not  speak  of  the  manifold  gods  of 
the  peoples;  their  distinction  rests  merely  upon  the 
manner  of  regarding  them  upon  the  stage  of  develop- 
ment of  the  nations;  and  all  gods  together  are  but  one 
and  the  same  deity,  and  the  names  can  all  be  united 
under  the  sublime  name  "All  Father." 

Here  ends  my  confession  of  faith,  but  not  by  any 
means  my  philosophy.  A  tremendous  field  still  spreads 
out  before  my  eyes,  the  field  of  moral  philosophy  in  its 
widest  sense. 


20  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

I  will  stop  and  not  weary  you  longer,  though  I  could 
add  various  other  things.  If  it  burdens  you,  say  so,  for 
I  am  not  nearly  done :  with  myself,  and  within  myself, 
yes,  but  not  with  you.  .  .  .  See  that  you  remain  in  Bonn 
Shrove  Tuesday,  I  pray  you. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Cologne,  August  6,  1846 
Our  maturity  examination  closed  as  late  as  Tuesday, 
and  it  annoyed  me  later  to  think  I  did  not  remain  over 
in  Bonn  Sunday  evening  and  Monday. 

I  must  confess  that  I  was  much  gratified  to  be  with 
you  men  in  Bonn,  and  will  compliment  you  by  saying 
that  I  long  for  the  time  when  I  can  enter  into  your  cir- 
cumstances. Your  organization  [Franconia3]  is  now 
extraordinarily  genial.  I  think,  however,  that  in  certain 
respects  it  has  reached  its  zenith  and  doubt  if  I  shall 
find  Franconia  so  flourishing  when  I  leave  the  Gym- 
nasium. (You  will  not  mind  if,  on  a  subject  which  is 
so  near  to  both  of  us,  I  give  you  my  views  openly.) 
You  will  not  deny  that  the  spirit  of  the  more  significant 
persons  controls  the  views  of  the  masses,  even  though 
in  this  case  the  crowd  is  not  very  great.  Now  that  is 
all  very  well,  yet  the  society  should  have  in  it  no  per- 
sons who  will  be  wholly  under  the  influence  of  others. 
No  plebs  should  develop  in  such  a  group,  and  that  is 
very  easily  prevented  by  employing  a  rigorous  standard 
in  admitting  new  members.  Of  course,  that  will  reduce 
numbers  at  the  outset,  but  will  not  precisely  this  fact  in 
the  long  run  attract  and  gain  the  best  minds?  In  the 
long  run,  to  be  sure,  but  one  must  keep  that  in  mind  also. 

'  Schurz's  Reminiscences,  i,  93-94,  contains  a  brief  notice  of  his  asso- 
ciates in  Burschenschaft  Franconia. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  21 

Quantity  will  not  accomplish  it;  quality  will,  and  by 
keeping  a  sharp  lookout  for  quality  at  the  outset  the 
required  quantity  will  also  be  forthcoming  in  time  and 
you  will  have  both  together  in  perfect  proportion.  If, 
on  the  other  hand,  you  begin  by  considering  quantity, 
which  is  the  easier  way,  there  will  in  the  long  run  be  no 
thought  of  quality,  and  sooner  or  later  the  whole  busi- 
ness will  go  to  the  dogs.  We  have  living  examples  of 
this.  I  believe  that  in  its  beginning  your  society  was 
far  abler:  first,  because  some  outstanding  men  have 
gone  away;  and  second,  because  less  able  ones  were 
taken  in.  You  answer,  they  are  talented  in  their  way. 
Of  what  man,  rather  of  what  educated  man,  is  that  not 
more  or  less  true?  We  must  not  be  able  to  detect  too 
great  contrasts  among  the  members  of  the  society. 

You  will  doubtless  say  that  I  do  not  know  your  men. 
True,  not  minutely,  still  sufficiently  to  be  able  to  pass  a 
general  judgment  upon  their  intellectual  worth.  For 
the  rest,  your  group  suits  me  very  well,  and  when  I  come 
to  the  university  I  shall  not  delay  about  joining  pro- 
vided my  financial  circumstances  shall  in  anywise  allow 
it,  and  you  will  have  me — about  which  there  will  cer- 
tainly be  serious  question  inasmuch  as  I  have  really  done 
nothing  as  yet  to  become  better  acquainted  with  your 
men.  Yet,  have  patience ;  I  will  behave  better  next  time. 
According  to  habit,  I  observed  silence  on  principle,  at 
least  at  times.  I  am  well  aware  that  this  cannot  wholly 
please  you,  that  it  may  on  occasion  cause  you  some  ridi- 
cule, as  was  certainly  the  case  with  Overbeck,  to  whom 
you  probably  cracked  me  up  considerably  without  con- 
sidering that  in  the  beginning  at  least  he  might  feel  him- 
self deceived.  You  will,  however,  excuse  me  if  I  assure 
you  that  I  conduct  myself  in  such  a  clumsy  manner  in 


22  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

order  not  to  compromise  you  and  myself  still  more 
through  foolishness.  I  had  much  rather  be  thought  awk- 
ward than  insignificant,  and  to  a  sound  question  I  had 
rather  give  no  answer  than  a  sickly  one.  Meanwhile  you 
are  quite  right  in  calling  me  "loquax."  But  take  care 
lest  all  too  soon  I  fall  into  the  opposite  extreme. 

The  happenings  in  your  beloved,  loyal,  philistine 
native  city  [Cologne]  have  possibly  given  you  concern. 
The  matter  certainly  has  a  peculiar  aspect;  the  worthy 
burghers  of  Cologne  begin  to  be  Prussian-eating  and 
want  to  see  a  distinction  made  between  citizen  and  sub- 
ject. Horribile  dictu  in  Prussia!  On  the  occasion  of 
the  St.  Martin's  Day  kermis  a  disorder  arose  in  the  mar- 
ket place  which  was  to  have  been  quelled  by  the  arrival 
of  the  military,  but  was  only  intensified  thereby.  There 
was  a  hot  fight  which  resulted  in  two  battalions  occupy- 
ing the  market  place  the  following  night,  Wednesday 
about  seven  o'clock,  and  closing  the  streets  which  con- 
nect with  it.  This  regulation  made  an  unpleasant  im- 
pression upon  the  Cologne  people,  who  did  not  like  to  see 
their  recreation  ground  taken  away. 

In  the  night  the  battalions  were  attacked  with  stones. 
They  divided  into  detachments  which  scattered  through 
the  streets,  a  part  of  them  holding  the  market  place. 
Now  began  such  sharp  encounters  in  various  places,  des- 
pite the  bayonet  attacks  upon  the  mob,  that  a  picket  of 
dragoons  had  to  be  called  from  Deutz.  These  indeed 
did  not  come  to  the  market  place,  but  forcibly  cleared 
the  high  streets  as  far  as  my  house  and  carried  on  vil- 
lainously. A  number  of  quiet  citizens  were  severely 
wounded  by  them.  About  twelve  o'clock  I  lay  in  the 
window,  saw  entire  households  of  refugees,  among  them 
wounded  persons,  and  heard  the  loud  huzzas  of  the  dra- 
goons as  they  charged  into  the  unarmed  crowds.     The 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     23 

police  and  several  companies  of  the  Sixteenth  Regiment 
raged  in  the  market  place.  One  man  died  there  as  a  re- 
sult of  wounds  inflicted  by  the  soldiers'  bayonets.  He 
had  a  terrible  wound  at  the  back  of  his  head,  probably 
from  saber  cuts,  and  many  bayonet  pricks  in  stomach 
and  breast.  He  died  on  the  hall  floor  in  the  home  of  one 
of  my  acquaintances.  The  tumult  continued  until  day- 
light. A  large  number  of  houses  were  demolished  and 
in  many  places  the  pavement  showed  prominent  traces 
of  blood.  Besides  the  death  mentioned,  there  are  said  to 
be  five  persons  in  the  hospital  and  several  in  their  homes 
who  are  lying  mortally  wounded.  I  have  heard  of  three 
deaths  already.  Of  seriously  wounded  there  are  twenty- 
two  in  the  hospital.  Many  soldiers  are  supposed  to  have 
received  wounds.  I  spoke  to  a  surgeon  who  counted  six 
wounded  in  his  company.  Also,  a  malicious  brickbat  is 
said  to  have  come  into  most  ungentle  contact  with  the 
tender  bosom  of  a  young  second  lieutenant.  Probably 
the  higher  officials  regarded  the  matter  in  a  serious  light, 
for  in  the  night  there  was  quite  a  reinforced  guard  at  the 
armory. 

Yesterday  the  citizens  were  in  an  extremely  irritated 
mood.  An  extra  paper  from  the  government  appeared 
in  the  morning  apologizing  for  their  interference  and 
exhorting  the  citizens  to  quiet.  In  the  morning  there 
was  a  big  mass-meeting  in  the  courthouse  plaza.  Many 
speeches  were  made  by  the  leading  men  of  Cologne. 
Franz  Raveaux  acted  as  chairman.  The  crowd  was 
asked  not  to  let  the  matter  rest,  but  to  report  at  once 
in  the  proper  quarter  concerning  details.  A  tremendous 
volume  of  complaints  is  said  to  have  flowed  in  already. 
Toward  noon  a  second  sheet  appeared  which  was  of 
much  more  moderate  character.  In  the  afternoon  a 
citizens'  guard  was  organized  and  the  assembled  militia 


24  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

received  the  order  not  to  leave  their  barracks  after  eight 
o'clock.  The  town  was  tremendously  animated,  as  at 
carnival;  the  citizens'  guard  patrolled  the  streets  and 
maintained  order  among  the  crowded  masses,  but  could 
not  protect  Count  Canitz  against  some  cat-music  and 
the  burgomeister  living  opposite  from  a  thunderous 
"Hoch."  No  red  collar  was  to  be  seen,  and  only  three 
volunteers  who  did  not  instantly  heed  the  order  of  the 
citizens'  guard  to  leave  the  market  place  at  once  were 
promptly  arrested  and  removed.  The  night  passed  in 
perfect  quiet  after  all.  Today  again  two  extras  ap- 
peared, one  of  which  invited  to  a  ceremonious  burial  of 
the  man  who  fell  in  the  market  place,  the  other  praising 
the  citizens  for  their  peaceful  disposition ;  and  therewith 
the  "Revolution  in  Cologne"  came  to  its  gentle  end. 
Excesses  are  said  to  have  occurred  at  Bonn  also.  Vari- 
ous things  have  been  told  about  them. 

At  our  peaceful  school  (Gymnasium)  also,  God 
willing,  a  new  order  is  to  be  introduced.  Lukas  has  pro- 
nounced most  decidedly  against  the  Jesuitical  course 
of  Vosen.  "We  ought  to  counteract  it,"  said  he  to  the 
unfortunate  director;  "there  are  unhappy  people  enough 
in  the  world  who,  on  principle,  draw  their  fellows  into 
fruitless  quarreling.  I  want  to  see  this  changed."  Vosen 
is  very  lightly  esteemed  by  him,  and  he  made  a  formal 
demand  of  the  other  teachers  that  they  counteract  his 
erroneous  methods  in  the  most  determined  manner. 
Several  months  ago  Vosen  desired  to  have  the  school 
library  placed  under  his  control.  Now  it  has  been  de- 
cided by  Lukas  that  the  director,  Putz,  Saal,  and  Natt- 
mann  shall  each  have  a  deciding  vote  with  regard  to  ac- 
cessions, and  Vosen,  as  fifth  wheel  to  the  wagon,  shall 
have  an  advisory  one.    It  must  natter  him  mightily! .  .  . 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     25 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Bonn,  September  23,  1846 
On  my  return  from  Liblar,  where  I  spent  two  weeks, 
I  found  your  letter.  So  I  might  consider  myself  ex- 
cused for  the  long  delay  in  answering.  Do  I  really 
have  to  justify  my  hasty  departure  without  leave-tak- 
ing? Yet  we  have  accustomed  each  other  to  this  so 
little!  Or  were  we  worse  friends  because  we  gave  each 
other  so  few  assurances  of  it?  You  would  gladly  have 
written  to  me,  you  say,  but  what?  At  this  question  I 
shall  likewise  have  to  express  my  highest  displeasure.  As 
if  we  had  nothing  to  tell  each  other  except  news ;  as  if  the 
one  theme  which  includes  ourselves  and  everything  were 
already  exhausted,  or  ever  could  be  exhausted!  Form- 
erly you  wrote  me  about  your  misfortune ;  why  not  now 
about  your  good  fortune  or  something  else?  That  you 
are  so  industrious  pleases  me;  that  you  have  been  ill 
for  several  days  I  regret;  but  I  do  not  doubt  that,  ac- 
cording to  your  nature,  the  thing  will  soon  straighten  it- 
self out,  for  one  is  not  accustomed  to  such  things  in  you 
for  any  length  of  time. 

von  Weise  was  here  recently,  but  unfortunately  did 
not  see  me  because  I  was  still  in  Liblar.  But  he  is  go- 
ing to  visit  me  on  his  return  from  Coblenz,  on  which  oc- 
casion, if  it  can  be  brought  about,  I  shall  make  him  ac- 
quainted with  Overbeck.  My  companionship  with  Over- 
beck  was  unfortunately  interrupted  by  my  visit  to  Lib- 
lar, although  a  good  beginning  appeared  to  have  been 
made.  As  yet  we  are  unable,  I  believe,  to  get  very 
close  to  each  other,  and  I  doubt  if  we  shall  be  able  to  do 
so  soon.  Yet  it  is  possible  that  the  fault  lies  in  me. 
Shall  I  lay  aside  my  "loquacity"  with  him?  Perhaps  I 
talk  too  little  to  suit  him?     When  I  am  able  to  talk 


26  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

more,  I  shall  talk  more,  and  that  time  will  doubtless 
come.  He  works  industriously;  visited  Schirrmacher, 
who  at  the  beginning  of  the  vacation  left  for  St.  Goars- 
hausen;  for  a  couple  of  days  just  now,  to  his  great  vex- 
ation, he  is  accompanying  a  Hamburg  visitor  on  walks. 
By  the  way,  of  your  men  those  who  are  here  now  are 
Heim,  Speltz,  Privatdocent,4  and  Schmidt,  who  how- 
ever has  just  now  gone  to  the  Ahr.  They  have  consti- 
tuted an  "Omnibus"  with  several  other  Fredericians 
(Ph.  Schwartz,  Block,  etc.)  and  several  Allemanians 
and  drive  twice  a  week  to  the  Dear  Madame's.  So  far 
I  have  not  gone  there,  but  may  go  tonight. 

I  have  deferred  my  little  trip  to  the  Ahr  for  a  couple 
of  weeks.  I  hope  we  shall  be  able  to  make  it  together. 
Perhaps  von  Weise  will  go  with  us.  When  are  you  go- 
ing to  visit  us  here  ?  I  am  at  home  all  the  time  and  shall 
hardly  be  able  to  come  to  Lind,  since  I  still  have  some 
work  I  want  to  do  and  have  been  delayed  through  my 
stay  in  Liblar.  You  will  be  uncommonly  welcome,  for 
though  I  have  experienced  much  in  my  life  I  have  had 
little  pleasure,  and  I  love  pleasure. 

Overbeck  sends  greetings  and  hopes  to  see  you  here 
soon,  for  he  will  hardly  be  able  to  come  to  Cologne  dur- 
ing the  next  few  weeks. 

Hearty  greetings  to  you  and  yours. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Bonn,  September  23,  1846 
We  have  expected  you  all  this  week  without  seeing 
anything  of  you.    Time  drags  heavily  and  the  vacation 
is  somewhat  tiresome.    For  three  or  four  days  Overbeck 

4  Official  name  for  a  class  of  unsalaried  lecturers,  of  whom  there  seems 
to  have  been  but  one  at  Bonn;  hence  his  actual  name  is  not  given. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     27 

took  a  young  Hamburger  walking,  whom  because  of  his 
loss  of  time  he  would  have  wished  to  the  devil.  He  has 
only  just  returned  to  his  work.  His  journey  to  see 
Schirrmacher  he  accomplished  before  I  returned  from 
my  visit  in  Liblar.  After  him  Privatdocent  was  there 
and  he  returned  only  last  week.  They  say  Schirrmacher 
will  return  today.  The  Omnibus  is  pretty  well  rilled. 
Count  Reichenbach  has  also  arrived.  Ph.  Schwartz 
comes  regularly  to  be  joshed  by  Privatdocent  about 
Schleswig-Holstein.  Speltz,  who  generally  holds  his 
own  against  the  Privatdocent  with  his  jokes,  was  in- 
carcerated last  evening  for  three  days.  The  financial 
depression,  now  general,  is  felt  here  also  to  such  a  de- 
gree that  perhaps  not  a  dollar  could  be  extracted  from 
the  whole  crowd,  with  the  exception  of  Speltz  and 
Grimm.  In  the  Omnibus  tin  money  is  being  resorted 
to,  which,  as  it  seems,  on  account  of  its  unsuspicious  ap- 
pearance is  handled  pretty  freely.  Heim  is  accustomed, 
as  has  been  at  times  observed,  to  inquire  urgently  the 
price  of  the  punch  before  taking  the  first  draught. 
There  are,  besides,  two  unknown  Allemanians,  three 
Fredericians  (with  Schwartz  and  Schmidt)  and  the  little 
astronomer  Schmidt  to  be  encountered  pretty  regularly 
in  the  Omnibus. 

Although  you  are  so  monstrously  slack  about  an- 
swering (I  have  already  waited  a  week  for  your  "sensi- 
ble" letter),  I  will  not  bother  you  the  less  with  letters. 
My  work  goes  slowly,  which  I  usually  find  to  be  the  case 
with  me  in  vacation  time.  Still  I  have  not  been  indolent. 
I  have  read,  exercised,  written,  etc.,  but  was  careful  not 
to  write  a  single  verse.  Aside  from  a  Latin  treatise 
just  now  begun,  I  have  written  Poetical  Letters,  A 
peculiar  title,  yet  no  more  peculiar  than  the  letters  them- 


28  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

selves.  Enclosed  is  the  first  as  a  sample — inasmuch  as 
we  must  not  and  cannot  meddle  with  such  absurdities 
during  your  visit.  I  chose  this  name  because,  on  the 
one  hand,  names  are  very  indifferent  in  that  connection, 
and  on  the  other  because  the  finest  sounding  names  are 
best.  That  they  are  borrowed  from  Schiller's  philosoph- 
ical letters  is  of  no  importance.  This  first  letter  may 
serve  as  representative  of  the  lot,  which  is  a  long  way 
from  being  completed  and  may  possibly  never  be. 

von  Weise  will  arrive  at  an  early  day,  and  we  are 
hoping  to  see  you  also  as  soon  as  possible.  It  would 
have  been  most  convenient  for  Overbeck  right  now, 
since  he  wants  to  pursue  his  work  uninterruptedly  for  a 
certain  time  and  is  disposed  to  defer  beginning  so  long 
as  a  pleasant  interruption  is  definitely  to  be  expected. 

I  hear  that  my  father  is  now  fully  agreed  that,  upon 
my  entrance  into  the  university,  I  may  also  join  a  fra- 
ternity. .  .  . 

Expecting  you  in  the  immediate  future  I  am  .  .  . 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Cologne,  November  7,  1846 
The  outline  came  too  late,  but  this  caused  me  abso- 
lutely no  inconvenience,  since  I  have  recently  made  the 
interesting  and  unexpected  discovery  that  I  am  able  to 
write  Latin  myself.  You  see,  I  handed  in  a  couple  of 
good  exercises,  among  others  the  one  in  question,  which 
was  corrected  three  days  ago,  and  Grysar  praises  me 
very  much.  How  it  happened  all  of  a  sudden  I  do  not 
know.  But  I  can  do  it,  and  that  amuses  me  exceedingly, 
as  you  can  imagine. 

I  am  sorry  you  are  not  yet  cured,  particularly  since 
I  can  easily  gather,  from  the  short  but  significant  words 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  29 

in  your  letter — "loafing,"  "coffee,"  "new  wine" — how 
splendidly  you  are  dieting.  Now  I  hardly  pity  you 
much  unless  for  the  reason  that  you  are  trying  to  get 
Schwentzer  to  join  the  organization.  I  have  no  judg- 
ment concerning  this  young  man,  since  it  would  be  re- 
garded by  you  as  exaggerated  and  I  want  to  wean  my- 
self of  that  fault.  Only  I  should  like  to  watch  your 
fencing  from  afar. 

What  do  you  want  to  make  out  of  the  association! 
Something  like  a  senior  class  at  the  Cologne  Gym- 
nasium? von  Weise  is  here!  "Educate!"  and  you  will 
not  need  the  "considerable  labor."  I  do  not  believe  that 
he  will  hold  off  in  the  least,  for  under  no  circumstances 
is  he  going  to  remain  a  barb.5  Do  land  Meusser,  for 
at  least  he  has  money.  I  regret  that  you  are  cutting 
your  college  classes  altogether  for  the  present,  particu- 
larly on  account  of  the  good  resolutions  which  have  per- 
ished in  this  connection.  (Peace  to  them!)  They  were 
still  so  young !  Material  for  a  touching  romance.  Other- 
wise I  can  only  pity  and  regret  your  weakness.  "Scold, 
as  you  expected"  I  shall  not,  to  be  sure,  but  I  cannot 
conceal  that  you  cause  me  profound  regret.  I  can 
imagine  quite  vividly  the  situation  in  which  you  are,  and 
a  little  imaginary  flight  into  your  circumstances  does  not 
affect  me  pleasantly. 

About  my  own  circumstances  I  have  very  little  to 
say,  for  they  are  the  usual  ones  which  you  know.  The 
examination  affair  does  not  yet  look  better  to  me,  al- 
though I  can  say  nothing  certain  about  it.  But  I  must 
admit  that  of  late  I  do  not  wish  so  very  much  for  all 
these  things.  The  business  is  made  more  difficult  every 
year,  as  I  learn  from  very  confidential  conversations  and 

9  One  who  does  not  join  a  fraternity. 


30  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

reports  from  Piitz,  and  I  almost  believe  that  despite  all 
pains  I  shall  not  succeed.  I  beg  you  not  on  any  account 
to  reveal  anything  about  this  to  my  father  or  put  any 
idea  in  his  head,  so  that  he  may  not  by  an  unseasonable 
interference  bring  to  naught  that  which  I  have  begun. 

I  hear  that  von  Weise  takes  his  meals  at  our  house. 
Greet  him  cordially  from  me  and  tell  him  to  let  me  hear 
from  him  soon.  Please  let  me  know  at  the  same  time 
how  he  stands  in  regard  to  the  fraternity.  I  do  not 
doubt  that  the  matter  will  suit  him  extraordinarily, 
since  he  stands  in  a  rather  special  relation  toward  you, 
as  the  representative  of  the  scientific  group  of  the  hon- 
orable Franconia. 

I  shall  soon  be  able  to  send  you  a  new  booklet  of 
poems.  Doubtless  I  shall  also  soon  receive  a  consider- 
able quantity  of  the  same  kind  of  thing  from  you.  So 
good-bye.  I  hope  to  see  you  soon  again  and  greet  you 
right  heartily. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

(no  date,  presumably  1846) 
At  last  I  find  opportunity  to  set  forth  coherently  my 
thoughts  concerning  a  matter  much  discussed  between 
us,  without  being  interrupted  by  your  holy  zeal  for  your 
good  cause.  For  it  concerns  our  talk  about  the  scholar- 
ship of  the  fraternity:  how  far  it  exists,  how  far  it  may 
be  required,  and  how  far  it  is  actually  required.  You 
chose,  in  regard  to  this  matter,  to  put  words  in  my 
mouth  which  I  never  thought  of,  and  then  to  laugh  at 
them  as  manifesting  "senility."  I  formerly  asserted  the 
following  and  still  do :  What  I  understand  by  the  schol- 
arship of  a  society  is  the  scholarly  development  of  its 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  31 

members  among  themselves  through  their  association 
and  otherwise.  You  say  the  scholarly  tendency  re- 
quires no  particular  representation  since  it  is  represented 
in  the  members  themselves.  Good !  Then  it  must  be  so 
represented,  and  in  all  members  without  exception,  for 
only  so  will  it  have  found  representation  in  the  society. 
If  it  does  so,  well  and  good;  if  not,  then  it  is  bad:  for 
the  society  as  a  whole  is  not  living  up  to  its  ideals;  is 
therefore  not  that  which  it  should  be  nor  that  which  it 
boasts  of  wishing  to  be.  By  scholarship  in  the  case  of 
the  individual  member  I  understand  not  merely  socia- 
bility but  rather  that  he  should  possess  a  sufficient  basis 
for  knowing  something,  and  that  he  should  actually 
know  something  and  not  merely  something  ordinary. 
For  what  else  is  scholarliness  ?  In  the  end  it  does  not 
take  much  to  be  a  pleasant  loafer  and  popular  student 
and  at  the  same  time  to  be  practical.  But  it  takes  a 
great  deal  to  be  a  useful  and  all-round  member  of  the 
fraternity.  I  am  far  from  affirming  that,  outside  of 
scholarly  mutual  furtherance,  the  association  should  not 
have  other  pleasant  features.  But  a  much  more  de- 
lightful one  it  certainly  has  not,  and  there  ought  to  be 
no  member  in  the  society  to  whom  scholarly  develop- 
ment and  the  interests  connected  therewith  are  so  re- 
mote that  the  opportunities  for  this  could  by  any  pos- 
sibility easily  be  shifted  to  other  and  shallower  things. 
It  means  simply  that  the  society  as  a  whole  must  not  let 
itself  be  influenced  by  those  members  who  merely  fill 
out  the  numbers.  You  would  not  let  your  society  come 
to  grief  by  prating  of  names  the  reality  of  which  it  does 
not  possess.  I  trust  you  will  not  find  these  ideas  as  crass 
as  those  you  assigned  to  me.  I  have  even  been  convinced 
by  you  that  the  convivial  gatherings  cannot  be  made  and 


32  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

must  not  be  made  very  different  from  what  they  are; 
only  that  the  individual  member  must  not  deny  by  his 
conduct  the  more  serious  side  of  the  association's  being. 
I  perceive  that  the  scholarly  gatherings,  as  they  were, 
cannot  last ;  that  they  were  the  outward  representations 
of  an  inner  tendency ;  but,  with  these  outward  represen- 
tations the  inner  must  not  also  be  sacrificed.  Nor  do  I 
demand,  as  you  say  I  do,  that  all  members  must  be 
geniuses,  but  assuredly  they  should  all  be  men — every 
inch  of  them.  Do  you  not  demand  that,  too?  I  surely 
hope  you  do. 

Now  I  will  let  you  have  some  verses.  I  have  more 
of  them  which  you  will  see  in  good  time. 

I  sat  here  among  my  companions, 
And  jesting  and  laughter  went  round. 
Full  many  a  ditty  was  carolled, 
Indifferent  jokes  did  abound. 

And  I  felt  so  oppressed  in  my  spirit, 
So  deeply  unhappy  at  heart, 
Yet  often  the  riotous  jesting 
Surprised  my  dark  mood  with  a  start. 

And  I  dreamed  of  quieter  pleasures, 
Of  joys  that  were  native  and  free; 
And  sighed  for  a  season  of  weeping, 
For  a  breast  that  could  feel  for  me. 

"The  devil,  why  are  you  so  quiet! 
You  should  lift  up  your  head  and  drink." 
Then  I  raised  my  goblet  with  laughter; 
My  misery  would  not  let  me  think. 

In  place  of  the  last  line  the  first  reading  has  it :  "But 
a  tear  down  my  cheek  did  go."  Which  is  the  better  I 
submit  to  your  much  respected  and  indulgent  judgment. 

We  shall  hardly  see  each  other  again  before  Christ- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     33 

mas.    Till  then,  therefore,  accept  a  brotherly  handclasp 
from  your  friend  (and  faithful  freshman  in  spe) . 

life' 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Bonn,  April  1,  1847 
Nothing  was  more  unexpected  today  than  your  let- 
ter, for  as  is  well  known,  in  regard  to  letter-writing  you 
practice  an  exemplary  laziness.  Consequently,  as  is  quite 
understandable,  your  letter  must  rejoice  me  all  the  more. 
That  thinking  about  me  fills  you  with  "fear  and  ti- 
midity" is  in  one  respect  very  flattering  to  me,  in  another 
it  is  regrettable  as  being  in  no  sense  necessary.  For,  as 
I  told  you  before,  the  plan  of  my  return  to  Cologne  was 
less  my  own  than  my  father's.  He  had  so  forgotten  him- 
self in  the  matter  as  to  wish  to  rent  a  room  for  me.  This 
proposal  naturally  went  off  successfully  since,  though 
I  continue  to  hold  a  firm  purpose  to  ponder  the  matter 
thoroughly  and  wholly  without  prejudice,  still  I  am  not 
at  all  prepared  to  take  such  a  binding  step  too  hastily. 
It  is  movingly  noble  in  you  to  free  me  from  my  promise, 
and  it  pleases  me  all  the  more  because,  I  must  say,  I  in 
a  measure  expected  you  would  do  it. 

Your  assumption  that  our  life  in  Bonn  must  be 
frightfully  colorless  and  quiet  is  so  accurate  and  pat 
that  I  would  even  call  it  boresome.  Your  hope  that 
through  it  I  might,  by  means  of  our  "involuntary  daily 
contact"  with  Overbeck,  come  into  better  relations  with 
him  is  unfortunately  futile,  and  your  suggestion  that 
such  a  consummation  be  attempted  through  friendly 
overtures  on  my  side  has  been  carried  out  more  com- 
pletely but  also  probably  more  fruitlessly  than  you 
might  suppose.     Our  daily  contact  is  also  actually  as 


34  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

involuntary  and  feckless  as  possible,  for  it  lasts  at  most 
the  few  minutes  in  which  I  go  to  the  market.  I  do  not 
remember  ever  to  have  encountered  Overbeck  in  any 
other  than  a  friendly  manner,  barring  the  few  mali- 
ciousnesses I  pumped  into  him  through  my  beer  news- 
paper. However,  if  such  a  difficulty  remains,  even 
though  quite  without  cause,  I  should  rather  not  be 
troublesome  or  intrusive  to  the  man,  preferring  to 
leave  the  matter  as  it  stands.  I  do  not  know — I  am 
not  exactly  the  person  for  this  business. 

Overbeck's  zeal  for  the  affairs  of  the  association  is 
worthy  of  all  recognition,  and  I  certainly  would  not  wish 
to  assign  the  entire  "hearty  enthusiasm"  to  mere  am- 
bition even  though  this,  as  you  yourself  assert,  has  a  con- 
siderable part  in  it.  What  you  write  about  your  crite- 
rion is  all  very  fine,  only  thanks  to  my  insatiable  nature 
I  am  not  quite  satisfied  to  have  the  men  show  their 
heartiness,  etc.  only  in  the  society.  Meantime,  as  stated 
above,  I  have  made  efforts  to  get  closer  to  Overbeck, 
but  these  efforts  unfortunately  turned  out  badly  for  the 
most  part,  so  that  I  do  not  feel  in  the  least  degree  com- 
fortable with  him.  It  is  not  possible  for  me  to  trouble 
myself  about  Overbeck,  though  I  cannot  tell  you,  in  con- 
cise form,  why  this  is  so.  If  you  desire  to  see  pleasanter 
relations  between  us  you  had  better  go  to  him ;  for  from 
my  side,  on  account  of  my  unfortunate  personality,  little 
can  be  hoped.  Overbeck's  moral  and  scholarly  stand- 
point may  as  much  be  exalted  over  my  own  as  he  pleases ; 
he  does  not  stand  so  high,  nor  is  my  respect  for  him  so 
unmeasured,  that  I  would  be  willing  to  give  way  to  him 
in  the  slightest  degree,  particularly  since  I  do  not  even 
know  what  he  thinks  on  this  point.  This  much  is  cer- 
tain, that  his  judgment  concerning  me  may  be  to  me 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  35 

quite  as  indifferent  as  my  judgment  concerning  him 
would  be  to  him,  and  that  I  would  sooner  give  Overbeck 
a  malicious  than  an  artful  word.  That  sounds  spiteful, 
but  fundamentally  there  is  nothing  to  it ;  for  I  have  good 
will  toward  all  men  if  only  their  praiseworthy  qualities 
present  themselves  in  such  a  way  as  to  enable  one  to  for- 
get their  disagreeable  ones.  If  you  have  so  much  in- 
fluence with  Overbeck  that  you  can  move  him  to  ex- 
hibit himself  to  me  from  his  better  side,  that  would  be 
the  more  agreeable  to  me  because  our  present  concealed 
animosity  (at  least  on  my  side)  might  in  future  tend  to 
become  uncomfortable — a  condition  I  would  be  so  glad 
to  obviate  that  I  herewith  give  you  the  following  assur- 
ance :  I  shall  not  enter  the  association  so  long  as  I  stand 
in  uncomfortable  relations  with  one  of  its  most  dis- 
tinguished members,  even  though  I  should  never  get  in ; 
which  would  be  so  unpleasant  to  me,  owing  to  my  f  eeling 
of  attachment  for  some  of  its  men,  that  I  would  easily 
overlook  any  little  discomfort  which  might  ensue  from 
the  undistinguished  part  of  the  society.  You  see  there- 
fore how  delightful  to  me  in  general  a  pleasant  relation- 
ship would  be,  and  also  how  delightful  it  would  be  if 
J.  A.  Overbeck  would  condescend  to  me,  for 

It  is  charming  in  a  mighty  one 
To  speak  poor  devils  thus  so  fair. 

As  to  Speltz,  I  must  say,  to  my  deep  regret,  that  I 
have  not  established  any  kind  of  relations  with  him. 
You  recall  that  you  once  told  me,  on  the  occasion  of  the 
beer  newspaper,  that  Speltz  was  enthusiastic  over  me. 
That  must  not  have  gone  very  far.  I  have  never 
doubted  that  he  is  an  uncommon  man,  but  I  should  like 
to  know  him  from  another  angle  than  the  habitual  ob- 


36  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

trusively  juristic.  You  say  I  ought  to  attach  myself  to 
him  as  much  as  possible.  How  can  one  do  that?  I  do 
not  like  to  impose  myself  on  the  man  unbidden. 

Weber  returned  quite  inspired  from  seeing  Uriel 
Acosta  in  Cologne,  and  spoke  to  me  the  other  day  of 
nothing  else.  It  suited  him  all  too  well  in  your  house, 
and  I  trust  this  opportunity  has  bettered  your  judgment 
of  this  excellent  youth.  He  is  a  most  gracious  little  fel- 
low and  is  at  the  moment  my  nearest  neighbor.  Griebel 
is  very  quiet,  almost  as  much  so  as  I  was  to  begin  with. 
I  do  not  believe  he  will  please  highly,  yet  this  will  de- 
pend on  how  he  thaws  out. 

God  be  thanked!  the  men  are  now  all  disposed  of 
and  I  close  this  portion  of  my  letter  with  a  profound 
sigh  of  exhaustion;  yet  the  alarming  thought  occurs  to 
me  that  I  shall  perhaps  have  to  come  back  to  it  once 
more.  .  .  . 

"A  life  of  love  consecrated  to  mankind"  is  your  ideal! 
But  do  not  consecrate  yourself  and  your  love  to  man  if 
you  feel  that  you  cannot  honor  men  in  their  love,  or  be- 
lieve that  you  do  not  have  to  do  so.  It  is  your  ideal  and 
I  honor  you  for  it.  I  know  that  you  love  men  (because 
you  honor  them)  and  even  believe  that  their  weaknesses 
are  to  be  honored.  I  love  you  for  that.  You  write  that 
your  heart  is  so  full :  I  have  never  seen  it  empty.  Fare- 
well.   I  take  leave  of  you  with  a  warm  handclasp. 

If  you  wish  to  establish  closer  relations  between 
Overbeck  and  me,  then  write  to  him  yourself  if  you  think 
it  worth  while.  But  do  not  write  as  if  instigated  to  it  by 
me.  You  may  give  him  my  opinion  of  him  (which  you 
know  well)  to  swallow  straight,  solid,  and  unsugared. 
That  will  save  details.  I  promise  on  my  part  to  take 
up  the  matter  as  far  as  possible  with  warmth. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     37 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Bonn,  April  3,  1847 
I  understand  well  that  it  must  be  startling  to  you  to 
receive  no  account  of  my  home  affairs,  etc.,  and  I  shall 
try  as  far  as  possible  to  make  good  the  neglect.6  Our 
untoward  circumstances,  which  often  affect  me  in  the 
gloomiest  manner,  will,  it  is  hoped,  untangle  themselves 
in  a  very  short  time ;  when  we  shall  be  gaining  a  quieter 
and  happier  existence.  At  the  moment  joyousness  and 
peace  do  not  dwell  here,  and  that  I  have  not  in  a  measure 
succumbed  under  the  conditions,  I  credit  to  my  equa- 
bility of  temper.  Such  a  school  has  its  uses,  but  it  is 
hard  on  the  pupils  to  take  these  unpleasant  lessons  to 
themselves  and  work  them  out. 

I  can  tell  you  little,  or  indeed  nothing,  of  my  plans, 
having  no  future  on  which  to  build  them.  My  activities 
I  cannot  reveal  better  than  by  describing  my  desk,  upon 
which  lie  an  Iliad,  an  Isocrates,  and  a  Cicero,  inter- 
mingled with  a  wilderness  of  manuscripts  which  often 
engross  my  spare  hours.  Besides,  I  have  been  pretty 
industrious  in  my  studies,  but  since  this  will  interest 
you  more  I  will  tell  you  something  about  my  literary 
adventures. 

It  may  seem  strange  to  you,  but  I  have  taken  up  my 
Richard  Wanderer1  again  and  am  working  on  it  with 
more  satisfaction  than  ever.  In  the  new  edition,  which 
differs  absolutely  from  the  earlier,  I  am  full  of  material, 
penetrate  it,  and  reproduce  in  a  way  that  gives  me  joy. 
But  I  often  rise  from  my  page  with  a  feeling  that  the 
thing  is  all  wrong  from  foundation  up.  The  material, 
however,  presents  itself  in  such  attractive  form  that  I 

6  Referring  to  the  previous  letter. 

'Referring  to  letter  of  January  27,  1846:  "I  am  considering  writing 
something  in  the  nature  of  a  novel." 


38  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

soon  recover  myself  and  proceed  with  it.  Still,  certain 
discomforts  do  not  quite  leave  me  after  such  reflection, 
and  unfortunately  I  have  no  criterion  to  which  I  could 
go,  yourself  not  excluded,  so  that  at  the  conclusion  the 
work  is  become  a  totally  different  one.  I  am  sorry  not 
to  be  able  to  give  you  some  account  of  the  whole,  because 
this  could  not  be  done  without  excessive  diffuseness. 
Still  I  beg  you  to  give  me  as  accurate  a  judgment  as  you 
can  on  the  central  idea  of  the  edition  (which  you  have 
seen),  apart  from  all  defects  of  form  and  treatment. 
You  will  probably  recall  the  matter  clearly  enough. 
The  thing  interests  me  to  insanity,  and  I  have  got  it  into 
my  head  that  it  must  become  either  a  perfectly  crazy 
performance  or  else  a  bungling  work  of  genius.  I  see 
you  laugh,  but  it  does  not  affect  me.  Aside  from  this 
I  have  written  little,  having  worked  myself  so  deeply 
into  this  subject,  which  has  gained  a  fearful  hold  on  my 
mind. 

Concerning  the  incivilities  you  were  pleased  to  di- 
rect to  me  toward  the  end  of  your  letter,  I  find  them  per- 
fectly agreeable  but  quite  without  influence  upon  me. 
Good  God!  Why  not  leave  me  in  my  sphere?  You 
have  judged  quite  falsely  of  my  attitude  toward  Over- 
beck,  which  I  regret  the  more  keenly  that  motives,  etc. 
are  assigned  to  me  of  which  I  should  have  to  be  ashamed. 
I  want  simply  to  say  in  reply  that  Overbeck  is  just  the 
type  of  man  who,  in  a  friendly  relationship,  could  be 
quite  indifferent  to  me  if  I  were  not  likely  to  have  to  live 
with  him.  And  yet  I  have  not  abandoned  my  hopes  for 
the  future  because  it  must  even  be  so.  That  I  am  the 
cause  of  his  being  angry  with  you  twice  for  twenty-four 
hours  pains  me  deeply,  for  I  do  not  want  to  rob  anyone 
of  his  friends ;  but  all  the  more  because  this  might  serve 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     39 

me  as  an  argument  against  Overbeck.  You  say  you 
are  going  to  show  him  his  baseness  "orally  and  in  writ- 
ing." But  I  pray  you,  for  God's  sake,  don't;  too  many 
words  have  been  wasted  over  this  matter  already. 

But  please  convey  my  greeting  to  von  Weise — a 
right  warm  and  hearty  one,  tell  him.  You  men  in  Co- 
logne are  dearer  to  me  than  all  the  rest.  I  cannot  refrain 
from  telling  you  this,  you  dear  fellows. 

Farewell,  my  boy.  When  are  you  coming  back  here  ? 
Will  you  make  a  journey  on  the  tenth?  I  hope  either  to 
see  you  very  soon  or  to  speak  with  you  by  letter. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Bonn,  June  4,  1847 
You  understand  it  is  with  some  dislike  that  I  sit 
down  to  discuss  a  matter  which,  although  agreeable 
enough  in  one  respect,  yet  on  the  other  hand  has  left 
upon  me  such  an  unpleasant  impression.  I  trust  you  will 
appreciate  it  if  I  now  speak  with  a  frankness  which 
springs  not  from  prejudice  or  inconsiderateness,  but 
from  the  best  will  and,  as  you  can  premise,  out  of  the 
purest  friendliness.  You  know  that  I  have  never  flat- 
tered you,  and  I  should  be  ashamed  to  do  it  now  when 
to  speak  my  real  mind  can  be  of  some  importance  to  a 
friend. 

Of  course,  it  does  not  occur  to  me  to  discuss  from  my 
standpoint  the  whole  E.  G.  business,  and  we  will  re- 
serve this  for  an  oral  conversation.  Still,  I  cannot  resist 
touching  certain  points  which  relate  most  closely  to  your 
letter. 

You  assert  as  before  that  your  loafing  days  are 
and  were  past;  you  did  not  want  to  make  an  excursion 


40  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

hither.  "What  I  do  not  want  to  do  I  do  not  do,  just  be- 
cause I  do  not  want  to  do  it.  In  this  case  there  is  no 
necessity  so  compelling  as  to  bend  a  will,  provided  it  be 
a  true  will.  One  can  let  himself  be  coerced  by  circum- 
stances. A  firm  will  does  not  permit  itself  to  be  coerced, 
and  accidents  are  precisely  the  fire  tests  of  the  will." 

It  is  a  testimony  against  you  that  you  find  all  the 
shiftings  of  circumstances  and  their  pressure  so  wholly 
natural  and  irresistible.  One  should  not  permit  things 
to  develop  in  such  a  manner  that,  ultimately,  he  cannot 
help  doing  violence  to  a  conviction  supposed  to  be  so 
firm.  Of  course,  you  will  not  want  to  admit  that  this 
trip  is  a  violation  of  that  conviction,  but  I  can  only  con- 
sider this  a  confirmation  of  my  thesis.  You  say  you 
hope  I  will  assign  some  faith  to  this  positively  expressed 
conviction,  and  so  I  do;  I  gladly  believe  that  for  you 
it  is  a  firm  one,  and  you  will  not  think  the  worse  of  me  if 
I  have  another.  A  little  reflection  will  remind  you  that 
last  semester  you  often  made  the  same  assertion  against 
me  in  almost  exactly  the  same  form,  and  it  will  be  seen 
with  what  justice.  I  trust,  my  friend,  that  your  present 
conviction  may  also  be  objectively  true,  and  it  is  far 
from  me  to  wish  to  attack  it. 

I  only  want  to  remind  you,  very  earnestly,  that  you 
would  become  ridiculous  for  all  time  with  the  associa- 
tion— from  the  first  to  the  last  member — if  in  the  near 
or  distant  future  the  conviction  you  so  often  expressed 
before  the  E.  G.  in  such  a  positive  and  fiery  manner 
should  prove  false.  This  would  imply  such  contempt- 
ible impotence  on  your  part  as  I  have  never  ventured 
to  think  possible  to  you. 

You  will  think  that  in  the  above  treatment  of  a 
special  case  I  have  involved  myself  in  vague  unmeaning 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     41 

phrases,  and  this  may  to  a  certain  extent  be  true — I  am 
really  but  little  concerned  about  a  special  refutation  of 
your  statement,  but  simply  want  to  indicate  to  you  the 
standpoint  from  which  I  am  inclined  to  view  such  mat- 
ters. Yet  we  shall  be  able  to  come  to  a  clearer  under- 
standing of  it  in  direct  conversation. 

I  can  assure  you  that  in  this  matter  starting  from 
particular  opinions  the  association  and  the  Court  of 
Honor  have  demonstrated  their  friendly  disposition 
more  than  you,  in  your  ill  humor,  may  be  disposed  to 
recognize.  Through  the  admittedly  impressive  citation 
they  merely  wanted  to  save  you  from  extravagances 
which  in  the  future  might  have  given  you  many  an  un- 
pleasant hour  in  results  and  memories;  and  if  you  are 
determined  to  see  in  it  malevolence  or  rigorism,  I  can 
ascribe  it  only  to  the  gloominess  produced  by  all  these 
irritating  occurrences.  Are  those  friends  less  your 
friends  who  try  with  the  best  will  to  benefit  you?  Your 
doubts  about  the  necessity  of  a  suspension  have  made 
me  laugh.  Are  these  differences  of  conviction  so  dan- 
gerous to  the  realization  of  the  association's  fundamental 
principles  that  you  think  it  necessary  to  retire?  All  the 
men  are  fundamentally  in  agreement  with  you  and  will 
give  you  their  affectionate  confiding  recognition  when- 
ever the  future  shall  raise  that  conviction  in  them  to  the 
plane  it  has  attained  in  you.  As  to  von  Weise's  ideas 
about  which  you  write,  they  had  best  be  gathered  in  pri- 
vate conversation. 

You  see,  my  friend,  that  I  am  frank.  I  do  not  know 
whether  you  will  thank  me  for  it,  but  I  hope  in  any  event, 
as  we  have  said  and  wished  from  the  first,  that  in  this 
connection  our  friendship  may  not  be  a  common  and 
vulgar  one.    I  cannot  believe  you  want  to  be  deceived 


42  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

by  me,  and  you  will  recognize  that  I  am  your  defender 
against  others,  your  accuser  to  yourself.  I  trust  in 
your  noble-mindedness. 

I  can  say  very  little  about  my  studies  and  labors  in- 
asmuch as  I  have  before  me  a  special  preparation  for  the 
examination,  about  which  the  only  interesting  thing  to 
me  is  that  I  have  to  write  my  biography. 

My  home  affairs  are  as  untoward  as  possible  and  I 
had  just  as  soon  spare  you  a  detailed  account.  I  have 
need  of  all  courage  and  all  strength  to  keep  me  going. 
The  association  is  on  the  point  of  occupying  a  new  meet- 
ing place.  .  .  .  You  will  hear  much  news  on  your  re- 
turn, which  is  eagerly  awaited. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Bonn,  May  11,  1848 
First  I  will  try  to  describe  for  you  the  tremendous 
surprise  which  your  last  letter  caused.  I  answered  your 
first  letter  immediately  because  I  appreciated  all  the 
reasons  for  haste.  But  since  I  have  long  lived  outside 
the  city  gate,  my  parents  however  still  in  the  city,  I 
finally  understood  the  causes  of  the  accident  that  the 
letter  mailed  to  me  remained  in  my  former  dwelling 
until  from  your  second  warning  I  recognized  the  calam- 
ity. Consequently  I  believed  that  I  must  blame  myself 
less  than  inevitable  fate  or  the  negligence  of  my  young- 
est sister  for  my  long  silence. 

Your  decision  to  remain  in  Cologne  is  quite  unfath- 
omable to  me,  for  although  some  hopes  of  a  new  career 
present  themselves  I  would  in  any  event  try  to  carry  out 
earlier  plans,  as  long  as  possible,  up  to  a  certain  turning 
point,  which  for  you  would  be  the  coming  fall  vacation. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     43 

I  do  not  doubt  that  you  have  sufficient  cause  for  inter- 
rupting your  studies,  but  I  believe  it  my  duty  to  add 
that  an  absence  of  three  months  involves,  according  to 
present  statutes,  exmatriculation  unless  one  can  show 
proper  cause  for  the  interruption.  If  you  can  offer 
sound  excuses,  or  should  important  changes  in  the  stu- 
dent statutes  in  this  respect  take  place  within  a  short 
time,  such  an  interruption  would  of  course  not  be  of 
much  consequence  from  this  point  of  view;  and,  aside 
from  assuring  you  how  sorry  I  am  to  see  you  drop  so 
suddenly  from  our  midst  and  from  your  proposed  career, 
I  will  say  no  word  further  against  your  proposal  because 
I  cannot  know  what  private  circumstances  have  caused 
your  change  of  plans.  You  may  be  firmly  assured  of 
having  in  me  a  sympathetic  friend  who  can  be  as  little 
influenced  by  untoward  things  to  draw  away  from  you 
as  he  can  be  attracted  to  you  by  success.  May  these 
latter  considerations  have  remained  inapplicable  to  the 
case. 

About  your  question:  Mrs.  Peters  stated  in  the 
most  friendly  way  that  she  would  take  care  of  your 
things  as  well  and  as  long  as  you  might  wish,  against 
which  I  naturally  had  nothing  to  offer.  Freshie  Sterken 
is,  as  I  find,  at  home.  Your  occupation  with  "little  edi- 
torials" seems  to  me  to  be  very  amusing  and  interesting, 
and  I  envy  you  the  delightful  opportunity  and  quiet  for 
furthering  your  knowledge  in  so  neat  a  manner.  We 
have  begun  a  regular  loafing  semester,  have  voted 
throughout  the  vacation,  have  become  very  radical,  and 
see  ahead  of  us  a  lively  political  and  reforming  activity 
of  which  I  shall  write  you  soon.  The  corps  remain  as 
they  were.  We  shall  probably  soon  dissolve  and  you 
will  hear  great  things  of  us.    Particulars  later. 


44  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

The  affair  of  Tendering  remains  pretty  shaky. 
Werner,  Streiker,  Ziemesen,  and  Miiller  are  back.  The 
rest  are  expected  soon.  Your  war  preparations  amuse 
me.  I  hope  we  shall  soon  have  need  of  them.  Surprised 
by  a  call  and  following  that  by  darkness,  I  take  a  hasty 
farewell  of  you  and  convey  to  you  greetings  from 
Asholtern  and  others. 


To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Bonn,  May  29,  1848 
Yesterday  I  received  quite  unexpectedly  a  letter 
from  Herborn,  with  an  enclosure  for  you  which  I  for- 
ward herewith.  Herborn  wrote  me  quite  uncommonly 
insignificant  things.  I  hope  he  shows  you  more  consid- 
eration. 

As  to  our  student  activities,  we  are  living  in  such  a 
swirl  of  doings,  gatherings,  elections,  etc.,  that  it  almost 
makes  us  deaf  and  blind,  and  certainly  leaves  little  time 
to  enjoy  our  successes.  The  general  organization  has 
come.  Up  to  now  it  may  have  from  one  hundred  and 
twenty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  members,  but  we  hope 
to  make  a  vigorous  propaganda.  We  are  now  engaged 
in  trying  to  organize  a  universal  union  of  associated 
students,  which  would  then  be  the  battle  field  where, 
in  bright  daylight  of  publicity,  we  shall  overthrow  our 
adversaries  and  if  possible  destroy  them.  The  best  spirit 
prevails  in  our  party,  and  we  radicals  stand  unqualifiedly 
at  the  head,  von  Weise  and  I  enjoy  a  very  extended 
popularity,  particularly  among  the  Camels  and  Cata- 
loguers, Overbeck  will  have  to  be  very  careful  or  he 
will  sink.  I  promise  you  more  detailed  explanations  in 
a  couple  of  days,  for  I  am  just  now  busy  preparing  a 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  45 

proposal  for  this  afternoon  and  it  demands  my  whole 
time.  Franconia  has  temporarily  opened  its  doors  to 
"social  work." 

Till  tomorrow,  then.     In  haste  I  greet  you  right 
heartily. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Bonn,  June  26,  1848 
At  last  I  have  succeeded  in  conjuring  the  elusive 
spirit  of  letter  writing  and  the  first  thing  I  must  do  is  to 
excuse  myself  for  my  irresponsible  silence.  Dear  boy, 
your  friend  has  become  a  fearfully  overburdened  man. 
The  disturbed  times  have  operated  powerfully  upon 
him;  and  further,  with  my  responsiveness,  their  con- 
tinued influence  could  not  possibly  turn  to  my  advan- 
tage in  pleasant  ways.  Our  public  life  is  exceptionally 
interesting  and  it  occupies  me  the  more  since,  from  the 
beginning  of  this  semester,  a  lively  participation  in  it 
has  pushed  me  far  into  the  foreground,  made  me  indeed 
a  public  character — which  certainly  carries  with  it  satis- 
faction but  likewise  much  inconvenience.  The  univer- 
sal recognition  that  since  the  departure  of  our  deputies 
to  the  Wartburg  I  have  become  provisional  president 
of  the  student  union,  to  remain  such  until  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  definite  directory,  of  course  has  for  a  young 
man  of  my  ambition  very  much  incitement.  But  all 
these  things  detract  powerfully  from  my  agreeable  home 
and  scholarly  life,  which  I  began  to  consolidate  at  the 
beginning  of  the  previous  semester.  But — good  God, 
who  defends  himself  against  the  Devil  when  he  comes 
in  so  flattering  a  disguise  and — honestly,  I  have  no  re- 
gret about  it  because  in  this  public  business  you  acquire 


46  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

many  a  delightful  bit  of  knowledge ;  and  besides,  on  the 
personal  side,  I  may  perhaps  be  able  to  make  a  compe- 
tent fellow  of  myself.  Besides,  the  cause  itself  is  ex- 
traordinarily interesting  and  of  the  highest  significance ; 
so  that  I  do  not  understand  how  so  many  of  our  fellow 
students  can  be  so  exceedingly  indifferent  about  it.  The 
disposition  of  the  matters  coming  before  us,  the  mass  of 
diverse  plans  before  our  eyes,  the  strangest  considera- 
tions, as  they  criss-cross  incessantly  lead  the  mind  to 
many  a  new  philosophical  viewpoint,  and  you  obtain  a 
clearer  idea  how  inconceivably  wide  is  the  horizon  of 
human  activity  if  we  could  practically  commit  individual 
integral  parts  to  a  finer  organization. 

In  connection  with  our  great  political  happenings 
the  thought  has  come  to  me  over  and  over  how  petty  a 
thing  it  is  to  withdraw  out  of  the  big,  free,  mighty, 
stormy  world  into  the  conditions  of  academic  life.  But 
just  as  definitely  has  come  the  thought  how  great,  often, 
can  be  the  service  rendered  within  a  small  circle  and  how 
powerfully  such  a  small  circle  can  extend  its  influence 
when  we  have  theoretically  and  practically  grasped  its 
relation  to  the  harmony  of  the  mighty  whole.  This  is 
surely  a  proud  thought  for  me  personally,  but  how  end- 
lessly much  better  it  would  be,  in  regard  to  all  of  our 
conditions,  if  each  in  his  own  sphere  were  to  understand 
this  thought  properly  and  knew  how  to  honor  it ! 

The  union  between  us  and  the  men  of  the  corps  goes 
forward  fabulously,  and  I  now  see  with  great  satisfac- 
tion how  superfluous  were  all  my  plans  of  war  and 
destruction  which,  at  the  beginning  of  the  semester,  my 
evil-boding  soul  conceived  against  the  other  party.  In 
the  elections,  etc.  the  corps  men  are  very  just,  and  it  is 
curious  that  I  mvself ,  who  in  the  first  assemblies  roused 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  47 

much  of  the  opposition  to  them,  am  now  sure  of  a  large 
number  of  votes  among  them.  Since  I  have  had  occa- 
sion in  my  official  relations  to  come  into  pretty  close 
associations  with  some  of  the  corps  leaders  in  the  dis- 
cussion of  our  differences  of  principle  and  their  issues, 
I  often  hear  such  strikingly  sensible  and  liberal  expres- 
sions, that  my  reason  not  infrequently  seems  to  stand 
still  in  contemplating  the  decisive  influence  of  a  couple 
of  momentous  months.  Ernthausen,  for  example,  has 
suddenly  gone  so  far  in  his  liberalism  that  he  promises  to 
exceed  all  of  us  in  radicalism.  As  to  our  political  views 
and  policies,  we  head  fellows  are  all  and  sundry  sworn 
republicans,  but  all  in  moderation  and  with  deliberation. 
Our  people  of  the  Wartburg  delegation  have  been  back 
here  for  several  days.  They  have  done  and  arranged  a 
great  many  things  and,  without  exception,  in  those  few 
days  they  adopted  a  strong  and  firm  policy. 

The  results  of  the  convention  in  Eisenach  are  sig- 
nificant beyond  all  expectation.  As  a  permanent  place 
for  the  assembling  of  our  general  student  union,  which 
is  at  this  time  being  constituted  and  is  made  up  of  all 
elements  of  the  academic  society,  the  academic  senate 
has  placed  at  our  disposition  the  great  music  hall,  to  be 
equipped  for  the  purpose  at  the  university's  expense. 
This  may  reveal  to  you  more  intimately  in  what  rela- 
tion we  stand  to  the  governing  powers.  We  go  about 
the  business  imperiously,  as  if  we  could  stamp  armies 
out  of  the  ground,  and  all  our  petitions,  signed  only  by 
the  presiding  officer  from  the  hundreds  of  bearers,  derive 
an  extraordinary  significance. 

Dear  fellow,  this  official  life  goes  on  with  such  fresh 
joyousness  that  one  feels  good  in  it,  but  gets  intoxicated 
with  it ;  but  at  home — well,  you  unfortunately  know  how 


48  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

it  is — and  our  future  still  lies  before  us  so  gray,  as  if 
we  had  never  had  a  past  at  all.  In  spite  of  this,  however, 
I  have  preserved  a  comparatively  fresh  spirit,  and  if  I 
have  to  censure  myself  occasionally  for  frivolity,  still  I 
rejoice  inwardly  over  the  cheery  humor  with  which  I 
select  the  individual  good,  however  rare,  out  of  the  mass 
of  evil.  Where  it  all  may  lead  to — my  dear  boy,  I  do 
not  know.  But  I  have  always  looked  to  something 
better  than  being  a  newspaper  man.  That  I  live  here  in 
the  midst  of  most  glorious  natural  scenery  is  a  great 
good  fortune  and  often  dampens  wretched  doubts  and 
base  unrest  when  at  times  I  am  not  strong  enough  to 
bear  them  with  firm  manhood.  It  may  sound  ridiculous, 
but  it  is  true — we  [you  and  I]  have  had  a  rich  youth,  not 
indeed  as  respects  earthly  possessions,  but  rich  in  change, 
rich  in  prospects,  in  points  of  view,  in  inner  struggles 
and  victories.  Should  we  sometime  get  the  benefit  of 
this  youth,  we  shall  have  raised  ourselves  for  all  time 
above  the  weak  and  commonplace,  since  we  have  already 
been  able  to  view  and  organize  with  the  perfected  ex- 
perience of  manhood,  some,  nay  many,  things  with  which 
Children  of  Fortune  are  still  having  to  make  desperate 
experiments. 

Is  it  a  certainty,  then,  that  you  are  joining  the  war- 
riors ?  That  is  a  serious  decision  and  I  prefer  to  be  silent 
about  it  in  order  that  I  may  not  bother  and  burden  you 
with  needless  doubts.  Franconia  still  continues  as  a  "so- 
cial fraternity."  We  might  have  taken  in  the  freshmen 
by  the  dozens,  but  let  many  of  them  go.  We  are  really 
the  pleasantest  people  in  all  Bonn,  and  I  must  say  I 
have  never  felt  so  satisfied  in  a  society  as  now.  Over- 
beck  has  withdrawn  from  the  fraternity.  He  has  for- 
saken student  life  to  devote  himself  to  his  doctorate. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     49 

Unless  I  err,  he  will  feel  happier.  Inasmuch  as  I  have 
become  an  "older  member,"  as  August  Wagner  puts  it, 
I  have  taken  a  far  [Leibfuchs]  on  whom  I  shall  now 
practice  education.  For  the  present  I'll  make  him  cram. 
His  name  is  Max  Sack  and  he  is  a  very  delightful  boy. 

You  will  be  surprised  when  I  tell  you  that  I  have 
been  upon  the  fencing  floor  only  three,  not  more  than 
four,  times  this  semester.  I  was  buried  in  work  but  am 
gradually  beginning  again.  That  I  shall  never,  never 
attack  anyone  is  certain,  unless  I  insult  someone,  a  thing 
I  am  not  accustomed  to  doing.  Neither  do  subtilities 
arise  any  more. 

You  would  do  well  to  come  over  some  day  very  soon. 
It  would  certainly  cheer  you  up  if  it  were  but  for  a  few 
hours,  on  one  of  our  meeting  nights.  Greeting  to 
Asholtern  and  ask  him  why,  in  the  Whitsun  holiday,  he 
failed  to  pay  me  a  visit. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Bonn,  September  18,  1848 
Only  in  the  moment  of  preparing  to  leave8  is  it  pos- 
sible for  me  to  take  time  for  writing,  and  that  but  spar- 
ingly— so  greatly  have  I  been  pressed  with  the  most 
various  kinds  of  business  during  this  entire  week,  and 
hustled  hither  and  yon. 

You  will  not  have  failed  to  observe  how  political 
happenings  have  acquired  the  most  intense  interest. 
Neither  will  you  have  failed  to  observe  that  we  approach 
distinctly  nearer  to  the  tremendous  explosion  of  a  uni- 
versal popular  revolution  than  at  any  time  since  the 
world-historical  vote   on   the   armistice.      The   bow   is 

•For  the  student  congress  at  Eisenach. 


50  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

stretched  and  only  awaits  the  moment  when  a  hand  shall 
loose  the  fateful  cord  and  speed  the  deadly  arrow  to  the 
breast  of  the  foe,  whether  an  accident  or  a  premeditated 
incident  announce  the  moment  for  the  explosion. 

I  shall  hasten  to  reach  Frankfort,  for  who  knows  if 
we  shall  find  the  Parliament  there  two  weeks  hence.' 
This  much  is  certain :  if  the  German  nation  makes  itself 
ridiculous  now,  it  will  be  ridiculous  for  a  long,  long 
time. 

After  my  return,  another  letter.  I  hasten  to  let  you 
know  that  under  no  circumstances  is  anything  concern- 
ing our  eventual  gains  to  be  sent  hither  until  I  can  re- 
ceive it  personally.  Therefore,  until  I  announce  to  you 
my  return,  farewell. 

You  will  excuse  the  brevity  of  this  letter  when  you 
understand  that  I  hope  to  leave  here  yet  today. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Bonn,  December  21,  1848 
No  doubt  this  prompt  answer  to  your  letter  will  be 
somewhat  unexpected.  But  just  because  a  me.eting  with 
you  is  so  imminent  I  want  to  direct  a  few  words  to  you 
in  writing  which  I  might  perhaps  omit  to  mention  in 
conversation. 

It  is  superfluous  for  me  to  say  how  much  good  your 
letter  did  me.  For,  let  me  say  it,  you  left  me  here  not 
quite  without  a  sense  of  injury.  I  was  not  quite  proof 
against  your  aspersions  (pardon  the  wordN/,  which 
troubled  and  lacerated  me  on  precisely  that  side  on 
which  I  least  want  to  be  misunderstood.     Permit  me 

8  The  Parliament  had  suffered  an  attack  from  local  soldiers  just 
before  Schurz  reached  Frankfort.     Reminiscences,  i,  143. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  51 

the  remark  that  by  this  method  you  will  not  convert  any- 
one, but  you  will  embitter  every  sensitive  soul.  But  why 
speak  further  of  anger  when  I  see  so  clearly  that  your 
will,  your  brotherly  partiality,  remain  the  same  as  be- 
fore? And  have  I  not  to  ask  indulgence  the  same  as 
you?  Dear  Theodore,  I  am  glad  we  have  at  last,  in 
our  letter- writing,  come  to  speak  of  that  evening  in  the 
garden  at  Neusser's.  I  have  wanted  to  entreat  you, 
earnestly,  not  to  take  seriously  words  the  utterance  of 
which  at  such  a  time  and  occasion  even  my  lightest  sense 
of  propriety  would  have  prevented.  And  you  took  it  as 
my  "judgment"  ?  I  have  respect  for  every  conviction  as 
soon  as  I  know  it  to  be  an  honest  one,  and  would  never 
oppose  it  with  extrinsic  personalities.  Shall  I  cover  this 
with  examples?  Why  did  I  say  nothing  about  your 
complaint  when  you  were  here  ?  I  expected  later  to  con- 
quer you  with  reasons,  not  to  outdo  you  with  tirades.  Or 
do  you  really  believe  that  your  announced  views,  of 
which  I  might  cite  a  number  to  your  great  annoyance, 
would  have  frightened  me  less  than  you  were  frightened 
by  that  windy  report  concerning  my  political  status  and 
activity  here?  You  spoke  most  excitedly  about  my  po- 
litical vehemence,  and  I  bore  it  very  quietly  even  when 
your  words  often  unintentionally  struck  me,  as  well  as 
the  truth,  squarely  in  the  face.  Passion,  however,  is  in- 
tolerant and  quiet  patience  will  not  serve,  when  the 
means  of  resistance  and  answer  lie  so  ready  at  hand. 

But  let  me  come  to  what  is  the  real  purpose  of  these 
lines.  I  rejoice  over  your  early  return;  but  I  pray  you 
let  us  not  draw  into  our  conversation  what  tends  to  tear 
us  apart,  when  we  can  and  should  mutually  take  delight 
in  our  good  spirits.  Let  us  keep  to  our  agreement  to 
write  about  everything  that  requires  a  deep  and  calm 


52  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

conversation.  I  beg  of  you,  do  not  embitter  my  righteous 
joy  in  the  pleasing  consciousness  that  a  bond  of  affection 
is  not  to  be  shattered  upon  a  difference  of  opinion  which 
deserves  and  must  demand  respect  on  both  sides.  Let 
us  prove  that  we  are  not  reckless  boys  and  that  we  know 
what  it  means  to  show  proper  respect  for  honest  opinion. 
There  was  a  time  when  we  regarded  ourselves  as  noble ; 
our  faith  in  each  other  cannot  have  suffered  shipwreck, 
and  on  that  I  base  my  confidence.  And  now  farewell, 
hoping  for  an  early  and  more  cordial  meeting. 


To  Gottfried  Kinkel 

Bonn,  March  20,  1849 
Up  to  the  present  I  have  not  really  had  a  chance  to 
write  you  at  length.    Now  I  see  before  me  a  pleasant 
moment  when,  the  business  of  the  newspaper  being  fin- 
ished, I  can  stretch  myself  in  all  comfort. 

In  the  first  place,  I  desire  to  come  to  an  agreement 
with  you  on  various  business  matters.  The  editorial  la- 
bors which  I  accepted  as  a  legacy  from  you  on  your  de- 
parture have  become  delightful  to  me  in  many  respects, 
through  memories  as  well  as  hopes.  There  are,  indeed, 
many  tiresome  drudgeries,  but  my  easy  manner  of  work- 
ing helps  me  over  much,  especially  over  the  bad  humor. 
When,  however,  we  receive  recognition  of  our  efforts 
from  so  gracious  a  source  as  yourself,  you  may  readily 
understand  that  we  take  hold  of  our  work  with  a  re- 
doubled pleasurable  eagerness. 

I  really  expected  it  would  not  be  possible  for  you  to 
be  responsible  for  the  daily  handling  of  the  Austrian 
news.    I  cannot  quite  understand  how  you  get  time  for 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  53 

your  other  numerous  labors.10  I  assume  the  additional 
labor  the  more  cheerfully  because  I  can  in  that  way 
lighten  your  duties,  and  also  because  I  can  thus  retain 
that  dear  old  intellectual  province  in  which  I  have  ac- 
quired some  vision.  We  shall  naturally  group  the  offi- 
cial Austrian  news,  since  the  reports  are  not  especially 
urgent,  in  comprehensive  articles  appearing  about  every 
other  day.  In  so  doing  we  shall  accomplish  two  things : 
(1)  evade  the  eternal  contradicting  and  modifying  of 
the  Austro-Hungarian  lies  and  fluctuating  reports;  (2) 
keep  our  public  in  distinctly  greater  clearness,  because 
we  shall  be  able  to  distinguish  more  sharply  between 
facts  and  circumstances. 

Permit  me  at  this  opportunity  to  give  you  my  views 
on  what  I  conceive  to  be  the  necessary  character  of  our 
newspaper.  It  cannot  be  the  policy  of  our  little  sheet  to 
dish  up  to  the  public  political  news  with  great  speed,  or 
even  without  any  delay.  In  this  respect  it  is  impossible 
for  us  to  meet  the  competition  of  most  of  the  bigger 
papers.  A  scramble  for  news  or  a  motley  accumulation 
of  varied  news  reports  in  our  limited  columns  does  not 
seem  to  me  to  be  admissible.  We  must  rather  seek  our 
peculiar  strength  in  this — that  we  examine  and  illumi- 
nate all  facts  and  conditions  from  a  consistently  main- 
tained party  standpoint,  thus  introducing  into  our  paper 
an  essentially  rationalistic  element,  which  of  course  can 
be  closely  interwoven  with  the  narration  of  events.  This 
necessity  has  become  even  more  sharply  manifest  since 
your  election  to  the  chamber.  Since  you,  in  whose  name 
the  newspaper  is  edited,  through  your  entrance  into  an 
extensive  field  of  activity  have  risen  to  a  much  higher 

M  Kinkel  had  been  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  lower  house  of  the  Prussian 
Diet. 


54  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

plane  of  political  significance,  nothing  is  more  natural 
than  that  you  should  lift  the  newspaper  to  the  same 
plane  and  make  it  your  personal  and  party  organ,  a 
thing  which  everyone  has  expected  and  will  expect. 
Such  a  party  factor  it  does  not  seem  to  me  the  paper 
has  hitherto  been,  since  it  has,  to  be  sure,  kept  alive  your 
relations  with  the  circle  of  your  partisans,  but  has  con- 
fined itself  rather  too  narrowly  to  those  relations.  Does 
it  not  seem  to  you  suitable  that  you  should  write  rather 
extensive  leading  articles,  upon  more  abstract  subjects, 
upon  matters  under  debate,  upon  the  operation  and  at- 
titude of  the  parties,  upon  the  activities  of  the  sections, 
upon  the  relation  of  the  chambers  to  one  another  and  to 
the  crown,  etc.,  etc.?  I  believe  this  might  comport  so 
much  the  better  with  the  space  limits  of  our  journal  and 
with  your  restricted  working  time,  that  you  can  shorten 
correspondingly  the  reports  of  the  debates,  which  com- 
mand permanent  interest,  after  all,  only  if  aphoristically 
treated.  This  would,  in  my  view,  carry  the  paper  be- 
yond the  sphere  of  your  former  influence  and  make  it  a 
necessity  in  many  political  groups. 

A  second  point  is  intimately  connected  with  the 
above.  The  paper  must  get  rid  of  its  local  character. 
All  the  time  I  have  been  conducting  the  journal  in  your 
stead  this  has  been  my  constant  effort ;  I  have  discussed 
no  city  affairs,  no  striking  personalities,  unless  they  had 
an  obvious  relation  to  some  question  of  principle,  and  it 
is  this  characteristic  which  has  won  much  praise  and 
many  subscribers  for  the  paper.  During  the  next  quar- 
ter I  hope  for  a  considerable  increase  in  the  circle  of 
subscribers,  and  this  expansion  would,  in  my  opinion,  be 
still  greater  if  we  were  to  publish  as  a  concluding  feature 
a  series  of  articles  from  you  as  was  indicated  above. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     55 

Your  articles  are  fairly  devoured,  and  our  readers  have 
certainly  missed  long  and  painfully  the  Kinkel  "bell- 
wethers' '  at  the  top  of  the  sheet.  You  cannot  imagine 
what  a  sensation  your  Friedrichshain  article  made. 

I  have  one  more  request.  Write  me  concerning  this 
matter  very  soon  and  be  a  little  more  explicit  about  those 
things  in  the  present  management  of  the  paper  which 
may  not  please  you.  Many  good  lessons  have  come  to 
my  mind  which  I  once  learned  from  you  but  are  now 
half  forgotten.  I  have  not  lost  the  eagerness  to  learn, 
and  do  not  want  your  influence  over  me  to  be  broken 
by  your  personal  remoteness. 

von  Weise,  who  saw  and  spoke  with  you  repeatedly 
in  Berlin,  arrived  two  days  ago.  I  had  him  tell  me  all 
about  where  and  how  you  live,  how  you  look,  where  you 
drink  your  beer,  etc.  I  expected  that  you  would  win 
great  influence  in  your  party  and  I  rejoice  to  hear  the 
confirmation.  I  learn  also  that  you  continue  to  wear 
your  old  gray  hat  and  the  green  coat  with  the  wide  velvet 
collar;  this  aids  my  mental  picture  of  you  very  much. 
For  several  days  I  have  been  very  busy  with  my  military 
duties;  I  have  the  pleasure  to  inform  you  that  I  am 
5-8 ' -3 "n  tall  and  qualified  for  all  branches  of  military 
service.  The  draft  commission  would  have  promptly 
stuck  me  into  the  infantry,  but  they  will  have  to  be  pa- 
tient three  years  longer,  I  trust. 

Concerning  our  party  and  other  things  I  will  write 
you  soon  and  at  length,  if  agreeable  to  you.  I  rejoice 
greatly  that  you  will  offer  the  resolution  proposing  the 

"Five  feet,  8  inches,  Y12  inch.  Thirty-four  Rhenish  (or  Prussian)  feet 
equal  35  English  feet.  By  our  measure  this  would  make  him  about  5  feet 
10  %  inches  in  1849.  This  seems  to  show  that  he  stretched  upward  at  least 
a  couple  of  inches  after  attaining  the  age  of  twenty  years.  Tradition  says 
he  grew  especially  fast  after  having  recovered  from  scarlet  fever  in  his 
twenty-fourth  year. 


56  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

removal  of  academic  jurisdiction.  The  Kappenheim 
affair  has  greatly  intensified  the  zeal  of  our  student 
body  in  relation  to  these  matters.  I  can  promise  you  a 
mass  of  petitions  for  the  beginning  of  the  next  semester. 
The  whole  agitation  is  rather  completely  under  my  con- 
trol and  I  shall  know  how  to  turn  my  influence  to  ac- 
count. I  have  become  a  dreaded  person  to  the  univer- 
sity senate,  especially  since  on  the  occasion  of  the  ban- 
quet I  spoiled  their  fun  and  wriggled  out  like  a  serpent. 
Rector  and  university  court,  according  to  their  own 
statements,  presuppose  exceptional  judicial  knowledge 
on  my  part,  which  is  the  more  gratifying  to  me  inasmuch 
as  they  dropped  a  very  dangerous  charge  against  me 
which  they  believed  themselves  unable  to  sustain.  The 
agitation  is  permanent  here,  and  Bonn  is  the  most  un- 
quiet city  on  the  Rhine. 

You  are  to  be  here  at  Easter.    I  hope  you  have  not 
deceived  us  with  a  false  promise. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Bonn,  March  23,  1849 
In  great  haste  I  am  writing  you,  since  I  find  myself 
in  a  tremendous  difficulty.  A  considerable  time  ago  I 
handed  in  the  required  evidences  in  regard  to  my  one- 
year  [military]  service  to  the  proper  department's 
board  of  examiners  without  hitherto  receiving  any 
answer,  much  less  the  notice  to  volunteer.  Since,  by 
way  of  exception,  the  levy  has  already  been  in  progress 
for  eight  days,  because  my  papers  had  not  arrived  I  was 
drafted,  when  naturally,  after  qualifying  for  any  branch 
of  military  service,  all  else  remained  in  suspense.  On 
April  3  occurs  the  general  muster,  when  the  recruits  are 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     57 

to  be  placed  in  the  appropriate  branches  of  the  army.  If 
by  that  time  I  shall  not  have  my  volunteering  notice,  or 
some  other  written  evidence  of  having  sent  in  my  at- 
testations at  the  proper  time,  I  fear  they  will  take  great 
pleasure  in  sticking  me  into  the  infantry  for  a  couple  of 
years — especially  since  I  have  become  persona  non  grata 
to  the  powers  that  be,  and  shall  hardly  enjoy  any  con- 
sideration. I  have  a  suspicion  that  they  have  intrigued 
against  me  for  the  purpose  of  banishing  me  from  Bonn 
as  quickly  and  for  as  long  a  time  as  possible. 

If  you,  through  your  father,  are  acquainted  with  any 
officer  who  may  have  to  do  with  these  things,  I  pray  you 
to  find  out  from  him  what  the  state  of  affairs  is.  Should 
you  be  able,  through  someone,  to  cause  my  papers  to  be 
expedited  you  would  be  loaded  down  with  my  gratitude. 
On  account  of  these  things,  I  shall  probably  come  to 
Cologne  in  a  few  days.  An  accident  in  this  respect 
would  have  the  most  unthinkable  consequences  for  me, 
and  I  shall  leave  no  stone  unturned  to  prevent  it. 

It  is  really  a  bit  shameless  in  me  to  want  to  draw 
you  into  this  matter,  but  I  do  it  in  the  thought  that  we 
both  would  find  it  hard  to  consider  ourselves  shameless 
in  such  cases.    Very  soon  I  shall  write  you  in  more  detail. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Bonn,  March  27,  1849 
I  am  greatly  obliged  to  you  for  your  prompt  reply. 
Unfortunately  I  must  point  out  to  you  that  simultane- 
ously with  my  letter  to  you  a  dunning  letter  went  off  to 
the  board  of  examiners  quite  in  the  manner  indicated 
by  you.  It  is  the  third  one — and  still  no  answer.  From 
this  it  looks  to  me  as  if  a  new  letter  would  prove  as  fruit- 


58  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

less  as  the  old.  In  giving  me  your  advice  you  did  not 
know  of  this  circumstance  and  hence  could  not  take  it 
into  account.  Should  it  nevertheless  appear  to  you  ef- 
fective to  have  recourse  to  writing  once  more,  let  me 
know — if  possible,  immediately.  On  the  other  hand, 
should  it  seem  possible  for  me  personally  and  orally  to 
accomplish  something  with  the  commission  concerned, 
I  would  come  to  Cologne  during  the  next  few  days,  al- 
though it  is  hard  for  me  to  get  away.12  You  will  doubt- 
less be  able  to  learn  from  your  father  if  this  commission 
is  approachable  or  not. 

To  His  Parents  and  Sisters 

Rastatt,  July  21,  1849 
In  vain  would  I  attempt  to  describe  the  emotion 
which  seizes  me  as  I  begin  this  letter,  for  I  know  not  if 
these  may  not  be  the  last  words  I  shall  ever  entrust  to 
paper,  since  my  life,  or  what  amounts  to  the  same  thing, 
my  liberty,  may  end  tomorrow.  In  this  hour  (which  I 
may  call  the  most  momentous  I  have  ever  experienced; 
which  is  perhaps  the  last  that  will  permit  me,  in  calm 
clearness,  to  review  my  past  and  contemplate  my  fu- 
ture before  my  fate  shall  be  decided  forever)  there  press 
upon  my  soul  such  masses  of  great  questions  that  I  am 
unable  to  answer  them  all,  though  I  know  how  extended 
an  accounting  I  owe  you. 

I  know  how  sorely  I  have  injured  you.  I  know  the 
hopes  you  built  on  me,  the  pain  of  disillusionment  which 
must  be  rending  you.  My  dear  ones!  I  would  stand 
before  you  as  a  penitent,  did  not  the  proud  consciousness 

12  Since  Schurz  does  not  mention  the  volunteering  difficulties  in  his 
Reminiscences,  it  may  be  presumed  that  he  adjusted  these. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     59 

of  having  offered  up  to  you  my  future,  my  whole  life, 
my  principles  forbid  me  to  bow  my  head.  Have  I  been 
one  to  chase  after  distractions?  Have  any  of  the  baser 
motives  impelled  to  overhasty  action?  Or  have  I  been  a 
reckless  youth  who,  without  reflection  and  good  sense, 
followed  a  momentary  impulse  or  childish  ambition? 
This  last  thought  weighs  upon  my  heart  and  I  have 
often  considered  it  when,  during  this  siege,  a  sorrowful 
lonesomeness  permitted  quiet  meditation.  But,  see! 
Now  I  face  the  day  of  decision ;  now  the  time  has  come 
when  I  shall  have  to  die  for  my  principles  or  be  sub- 
jected to  lifelong  imprisonment.  This  moment  finds  me 
quiet  and  self-contained — like  a  man.  At  this  moment, 
which  in  its  devastating  reality  banishes  every  romantic 
illusion,  the  pleasant  consciousness  that  I  have  done  my 
duty  with  spirit  and  honor  becomes  doubly  clear.  I  have 
never  been  prouder  than  now,  for  I  know  I  have  never 
had  more  right  to  be. 

In  happier  days  you  have  seen  me  and  observed  my 
doings.  I  know  there  were  moments  when  you  looked 
upon  me  with  vanity.  I  shall  not  decide  here  whether 
you  had  a  right  to  do  so,  but  my  memory  tells  me  that 
my  will  would  have  striven  for  greater  things,  my  powers 
would  have  achieved  more,  had  only  my  experience  and 
knowledge  been  greater.  I  tried  to  pass  judgment  on 
great  situations,  although  I  had  not  seen  them  and  be- 
cause  I  had  not  seen  them.  I  would  participate  in  great 
affairs  although  and  because  I  had  not  considered  the 
necessity  of  a  far-reaching  organization,  or  because,  in  a 
measure,  I  thought  such  an  organization  superfluous. 
If  I  deceived  myself  I  have  merely  suffered  the  common 
fate  of  men,  and  a  heavy  penance  will  expiate  a  trivial 
fault. 


60  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

You  do  not  know  my  life  since  the  day  I  had  to  leave 
you.  The  shortness  of  the  hours  does  not  permit  me  to 
describe  to  you  my  experiences  and  adventures.  I  have 
recorded  them  in  my  diary,13  which  I  intended  for  you 
and  which  I  kept  regularly  day  by  day  even  at  the  time 
when  I  did  not  know  how  to  keep  it.  You  will  have  to 
content  yourselves  with  that.  If  only  the  complication 
of  affairs  does  not  rob  me  of  the  happiness,  denied  me 
forever,  of  getting  it  [the  diary]  to  you!  I  have  not 
much  to  add.  When  the  danger  of  an  attack  by  the 
Prussians  became  imminent  and  I  recognized  that  all 
non-military  activities  on  my  part  would  be  absolutely 
illusory  and  useless,  I  became  a  soldier  in  the  army  of 
the  Palatinate.  A  fortunate  combination  of  circum- 
stances made  me  an  officer,  and  my  position  was  as  pleas- 
ant as  it  was  educative.  I  must  confess  that  I  have 
longed  for  some  time  to  stand  for  my  convictions,  sword 
in  hand,  and  since  the  first  attempt  in  that  direction 
ended  in  a  farce14  I  was  irresistibly  urged  into  the 
struggle  as  if  I  had  to  expiate  a  sin  there.  I  came  under 
fire  first  at  Bruchsal.  I  rode  in  the  first  line,  the  enemy 
bullets,  grape,  and  shrapnel  whizzing  around  me.  I 
swear  to  you  that  never  in  my  life  did  I  feel  so  happy 
and  never  so  purified  as  during  this  baptism  of  fire.  In 
that  very  first  encounter  I  was  wounded.  It  was  a  graz- 
ing shot  on  the  shinbone,  which  soon  quit  bleeding,  and 
I  remained  on  horseback  that  whole  day.  In  the  en- 
counters under  the  walls  of  Rastatt  I  was  often  in  the 
bloodiest  fighting,  in  the  most  murderous  fire.  You 
may  tell  my  enemies,  if  they  seek  to  revile  me,  that  I  did 
not  spare  my  blood  in  behalf  of  my  sacred  cause,  that 

13  Diary  unfortunately  not  found.      [A.   S.] 

14  See  Reminiscences,  i,  171ff. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  61 

I  never  flinched  before  the  rain  of  enemy  bullets  through 
fear  or  because  it  drove  me  back.  And  though  all  of 
these  fights  proved  futile  I,  and  many  others  with  me, 
saved  our  honor  from  the  mockery  and  revilings  of  those 
who  are  our  adversaries. 

I  can  never  requite  all  the  troubles,  the  cares,  that 
you  endured  on  my  account,  all  the  tears  you  have  shed 
for  me.  Fate  has  played  me  a  sorry  trick,  raising  the 
suspicion  that  our  family  is  born  to  misfortune.  All 
this,  however,  I  foresaw  long  ago,  if  not  in  all  its  de- 
tails, at  least  in  its  results.  I  knew  my  life  would  be  full 
of  storms  and  dangers  because  I  was  too  proud  to  evade 
them.  But  I  always  imagined  that  I  should  die  like  a 
man  whose  memory  should  encompass  a  rich  life, 
charged  with  distinguished  achievements.  With  resig- 
nation I  have  succeeded  in  arming  myself  against  every 
misfortune.  But  the  reflection  that  I  have  been  able  to 
achieve  so  little  with  my  powers — such  a  thought  is  hard 
for  me  to  bear.  Had  a  longer  life  been  vouchsafed  me,  I 
should  have  become  an  unhappy  man ;  but  I  should  have 
exploited  my  unhappiness  for  the  welfare  of  many;  I 
should  have  suffered  in  action  and  acted  in  suffering, 
like  all  men  who  are  self-sacrificing  enough  to  forget 
their  own  present  and  future  in  that  of  others.  And  so 
it  means  resignation  enough,  when  I  am  reluctant  to 
give  up  my  hopes  for  the  future. 

I  forgot  to  indicate  precisely  the  moment  in  which 
this  letter  is  being  penned.  Our  scouts  returned  this 
evening ;  they  report  simply  that  we  are  lost.  Our  army 
was  destroyed  several  days  ago;  the  Prussians,  pro- 
vided with  all  the  equipment  for  a  siege,  are  assembling 
great  masses  of  troops  about  the  city.  It  would  be  mad- 
ness to  try  to  hold  the  fortress  longer.    So  we  have  the 


62  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

choice  of  two  alternatives :  either  to  cut  our  way  through 
to  the  Rhine  and  thence  to  France,  which  is  hardly  pos- 
sible ;  or,  what  is  all  but  certain  to  be  done,  surrender  the 
fort.  All  captured  Prussians  will  be  subject  to  mar- 
tial law  and,  according  to  overwhelming  probability, 
will  suffer  the  penalty  of  death.  Among  these  am  I. 
When  you  read  this  letter  I  shall  perhaps  already  be 
counted  among  the  dead.  Possibly  I  may  be  thrown 
into  captivity  which  can  be  broken  only  by  great  events. 
I  write  this  in  cold  blood  because  I  am  master  of  my- 
self. I  trust  you  will  be  the  same  when  you  read  these 
lines. —  And  yet,  when  I  think  that  I  shall  see  you  no 
more,  you  loved  ones ;  you,  who  have  given  me  so  much 
affection,  from  whom  my  heart  can  only  sever  itself 
bleeding,  my  eyes  seek  to  give  way  and  I  could  cry  like 
a  child — but  I  must  not  weep  now,  for  I  stand  in  the 
presence  of  death. —  I  cannot  offer  you  a  word  of  con- 
solation; it  would  be  superfluous,  for  I  hope  it  will  be 
consolation  enough  for  you  to  have  the  assurance  that 
in  life  as  in  death  I  have  been  worthy  to  be  your  son. 

I  have  placed  this  letter  in  the  hands  of  the  man  with 
whom  I  was  quartered.  He  is  a  good  and  obliging  man. 
He  has  instructions  to  mail  it  when  my  fate  shall  have 
been  decided. 

Farewell,  my  dear  ones,  my  good  parents,  my  be- 
loved sisters.  Be  assured  that  no  one  has  loved  you  more 
faithfully  than  your  brother;  that  he  loves  mankind 
more  than  himself  and  was  resolute  enough  to  love  it 
even  unto  death — and  you  will  be  comforted. 

Farewell,  farewell.  We  shall  see  one  another  no 
more — or  at  least  not  for  a  long,  long  time.    Farewell. 

Through  a  paper  that  the  Prussians  have  sent  in 
here  I  learn  that  Kinkel  was  sentenced  to  death  at 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     63 

Karlsruhe  by  the  military  court.  I  know  he  can  die 
like  a  man,  because  he  has  lived  like  one.  If  I  could  say 
the  same  of  myself  to  the  same  extent,  I  should  at  this 
moment  carry  my  head  higher.  But  I  am  happy  that 
weakness  is  as  remote  from  me  as  cowardice;  that  I 
endure,  with  steadfast  heart,  the  blows  of  misfortune 
and  my  own  thoughts.  Farewell!  on  the  day  of  capitu- 
lation ! 

To  His  Friends 

Rastatt,  on  the  day  of  capitulation 
July  23,  1849 

May  this  letter,  penned  at  a  moment  when  life  makes 
its  last  demands  upon  me,  serve  as  proof  of  the  warmth 
with  which  I  think  of  you.  The  next  hour  will  bring  the 
Prussians  through  our  gates  and  we  shall  be  in  the  hands 
of  our  most  embittered  enemies.  Excuse  me  from  nar- 
rating and  discussing  facts  whose  narration  and  dis- 
cussion you  will  find  in  all  the  newspapers.  I  am  now 
impelled  to  speak  to  you  out  of  a  full  heart,  recalling 
the  joyous  days  which  we  spent  together,  and  which  we 
mutually  beautified  for  one  another  without  being  con- 
scious of  doing  so,  even  partly — permit  me  the  pointed 
remark — even  without  wishing  to  do  so. 

It  is  as  yet  uncertain  what  the  next  hour  will  bring 
us,  but  there  are  only  two  alternatives  which  agitate  my 
imagination — death  or  permanent  incarceration.  The 
two  facts  that  I  am  a  Prussian  and  a  political  offender 
leave  me  no  hopes  beyond  these  alternatives.  With 
serene  spirit  I  face  my  fate,  and  desire  still  with  calm 
clarity  to  cast  a  glance  back  over  the  delightful  past 
out  of  which  your  images  move  so  lifelike  before  my 


64  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

spiritual  eyes.  When  I  traveled  from  St.  Goarshausen 
into  the  Palatinate,  Wessel  said  to  me  in  his  dry  manner : 
"Say,  it  would  be  fine  if  you  were  shot  there;  for  it  is 
interesting  to  be  able  to  say  that  a  good  acquaintance 
went  down  in  this  or  that  affair."  I  laughed  over  the 
remark  at  the  time,  but  today  it  comes  back  to  me  in 
a  wondrous  way.  And  does  it  not  contain  much,  very 
much  significance?  Of  the  hundreds  with  whom  I  was 
acquainted,  will  not  the  great  majority  on  learning  of 
my  death  say  with  a  shrug  of  the  shoulder:  "Too  bad 
about  him ;  he  had  fine  talent,  but  he  was  over-eager  and 
excitable.  He  might  have  become  an  able  man"?  And 
so  the  thing  is  ended  and  the  young  soul,  with  all  his 
good  will,  his  warmth,  his  self-sacrifice,  is  forgotten. 

Why?  Because  the  majority  do  not  know  for  what 
he  sacrificed  himself ;  and  what  he  would  have  gained  by 
his  sacrifice  if  all  had  made  the  same  sacrifice.  It  is 
easy  for  me  to  become  reconciled  to  this  thought  because 
I  can  see  that  the  majority  are  right.  It  is  utility  which 
rules  all  conditions,  and  my  unselfishness  is  only  then 
deserving  of  recognition  when  it  turns  out  to  the  mani- 
fest advantage  of  others.  I  have  done  nothing  to  be 
remembered  for,  hence  there  is  nothing  more  natural 
than  that  I  should  be  forgotten.  See  the  program  of 
my  ambitions  before  my  end.  I  know  that  some  of  you 
have  considered  my  ambition  excessive  and  exclusive. 
I  see  that  clearly  in  the  moment  when  I  am  prepared  to 
step  out  of  myself  and  have  a  right  to  pass  judgment  on 
my  past.  It  is  true,  I  did  not  want  to  be  second  where 
I  could  be  first ;  I  did  not  want  to  serve  where  I  under- 
stood how  to  command.  But  subordination  under  su- 
periority has  never  come  hard  for  me,  and  I  have  never 
denied  recognition  to  superior  power  wherever  I  have 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  65 

found  it.  And  yet  I  do  not  deny  that  I  should  have  been 
ruined  had  I  remained  longer  in  those  conditions.  There 
was  in  me  a  certain  untameableness  which  was  bound  to 
lead  me  to  tyranny.  The  feeling  of  superiority  in  some 
things  would  have  made  me  forget  my  limitations,  and 
the  words  of  those  who,  without  knowledge  or  desire, 
would  have  caused  me  rather  to  overlook  than  to  im- 
prove my  own  faults.  I  was  on  the  way  to  become  an 
intolerant  person — indeed,  should  long  since  have  be- 
come such  had  not  a  certain  natural  shyness  which,  by 
the  way,  I  was  most  anxious  to  throw  off,  kept  me  by 
force  on  the  right  track. 

Then  I  did  a  ridiculous  thing  which  at  the  same  time 
involved  an  act  of  treason ;  this  marks  a  break  in  my  life 
course.  I  went  into  the  Palatinate,  where  I  observed  an 
agitation  which  quickly  illustrated  with  sufficient  clear- 
ness what  demands  a  revolution  makes  on  the  man  who 
hopes  to  play  a  role  therein.  I  joined  a  group  of  men 
whose  names  were  much  spoken  in  Germany.  It  was 
not  difficult  to  appreciate  the  superiority  of  some,  the 
undistinguished  powers  of  others ;  to  learn  and  recognize 
that  the  fame  of  being  a  political  notability  by  no  means 
signifies  a  high  grade  of  political  ability  and  may  be 
achieved  at  slight  cost.  The  spectacle  of  all  that  had  to 
be  done  in  the  Palatine  revolution  to  assure  it  of  even  the 
appearance  of  a  hoped-for  success;  the  spectacle  of  an 
inefficient  provisional  government,  soon  caused  me  to  ask 
myself  whether  I  really  would  have  had  this  or  that  idea 
or  whether  I  would  have  been  able  to  set  it  forth  had  a 
role  in  this  drama  fallen  to  me.  I  then  quickly  recog- 
nized that  a  lack  of  knowledge  and  experience  branded 
me  as  an  undistinguished  individual  whose  present 
might  well  be  exploited  even  though  his  future  were 


66  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

lost.  I  chose,  with  steadfast  resignation  toward  other 
offers,  a  quiet,  contemplative  position  which  might  yield 
me  a  pretty  deep  and  clear  view  into  all  groups  and  all 
conditions  without  imposing  a  responsibility  which  in  my 
want  of  self-confidence  might  have  become  oppressive. 
So  I  traversed  the  revolution  as  a  nature  student  tra- 
verses a  mountain  range,  not  without  danger  but  with- 
out weariness.  I  have  learned  in  these  few  months  more, 
a  thousand  times  more,  than  if  fate  had  left  me  behind  to 
my  apparently  independent  but  in  fact  illusory  ac- 
tivities in  our  university  city. 

Soon,  however,  came  evil  days,  and  when  I  had  al- 
ready learned  much  a  relentless  fate  cut  me  off  from 
the  hope  of  becoming  a  useful  man.  I  see  my  life  ending 
where  it  ought  really  to  begin,  my  liberty  destroyed 
where  it  was  my  purpose  to  ally  liberty  with  clarity. 
That  is  the  heavy  misfortune  which  weighs  upon  my 
shoulders,  and  I  feel  it  is  no  consolation  for  me  to 
save  the  untamed  powers  of  my  soul.  I  have  preserved 
my  moral  pride  and  nothing  shall  bend  my  neck.  I  feel 
myself  worthy  to  live  since  the  expectation  of  death 
leaves  me  clear  and  undisturbed.  I  have  looked  death 
in  the  face  frequently — at  Bruchsal  where  I  was 
wounded,  in  all  of  the  fights  at  Rastatt  where  I  stood 
up  against  the  enemy  face  to  face  and  gave  him  blow 
for  blow.  Danger  did  not  cause  me  to  waver  nor  the 
nearness  of  death  to  tremble — say  this  to  those  who 
may  ask  about  me. 

For  the  last  time  our  drums  are  beating  in  the 
streets ;  for  the  last  time  I  put  on  belt  and  sword  in  order 
to  surrender  to  the  enemy.  'Tis  time  to  bid  you  farewell. 
It  is  childish  in  me,  yet  now  it  pains  me  to  think  that  at 
the  time  of  my  flight  I  did  not  even  take  leave  of  you. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  67 

So  then,  farewell.  To  hope  for  a  reunion  would  be 
folly.  Remember  occasionally  a  friend  who  pledged  his 
life  for  the  realization  of  an  idea  before  he  knew  the 
means  of  achievement;  whose  greatest  sin  it  was,  con- 
trary to  his  own  theory,  to  be  too  regardless  of  egoism. 
Again,  farewell. 

To  His  Parents 

Dornachbruck,  July  31,  1849 
At  last  I  find  a  moment  of  quiet  to  let  you  know  that 
I  am  rescued  and  free,  both  through  a  hazardous  enter- 
prise which  ended  as  successfully  as  it  was  begun  boldly. 
I  wrote  you  the  last  lines  in  the  comfortless  anticipation 
of  falling  into  the  hands  of  my  most  embittered  enemies. 
Fate  changed  this  and  I  was  given  back  my  life  after 
having  already  looked  death  in  the  eye.  I  do  not  know 
if  you  received  my  last  letter  from  Rastatt.  If  you 
did,  it  went  off  sooner  than  I  had  intended,  and  from 
my  heart  I  absolve  you  from  the  heavy  hours  of  terror 
and  pain  which,  innocently,  I  brought  upon  you  by  my 
too  hasty  report.  My  rescue  could  not  be  anticipated  and 
I  did  not  wish  that  in  future  you  should  be  forced  to 
answer  the  question:  "What  became  of  your  son?"  with, 
"I  know  not."  It  was  for  this  reason  I  wanted  to  give 
you  information  while  it  still  was  possible  to  do  so.  The 
manner  of  my  rescue  you  will  find  from  the  enclosed 
sheets,  written  for  you  and  for  all  others  who  are  in- 
terested in  my  fate. 

Now  let  us  speak  of  the  cares  of  life.  I  am  here  in 
a  Swiss  village,  near  Basel.  My  money  resources,  be- 
cause I  was  able  to  save  little  from  Rastatt,  are  so  small 
that  I  shall  not  be  able  to  live  on  them  three  days.  True, 


68  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

I  have  my  diary,  kept  with  great  regularity  and  in  ex- 
tended manner  and  which  I  want  to  have  printed.  How- 
ever, until  after  a  necessary  revision  and  until  I  can 
get  it  into  a  publisher's  hands,  at  least  one  or  two  weeks 
must  elapse,  and  even  then  it  is  very  questionable  that  I 
shall  receive  money  in  hand  at  once.  I  ask  nothing  from 
you,  for  I  know  that  I  can  suffer  better  than  you.  But 
this  request  I  make:  Ask  of  Frau  Erbschloh,  or  else- 
where, if  someone  may  be  disposed  to  support  me  up  to 
the  moment  that  I  can  sell  my  diary.  I  would  then  go 
to  French  Switzerland,  probably  to  Geneva,  to  con- 
tinue my  studies  and  incidentally  to  learn  to  speak 
French  fluently.  I  would  have  remained  in  France  had 
the  refugees  dared  to  stop  in  Paris  or  near  the  bounda- 
ries. As  I  am  in  dire  want  of  many  things  highly  neces- 
sary to  life,  sums  up  to  twenty-five  or  thirty  thalers  will 
be  needed  for  procuring  them — particularly  as  I  do  not 
dare  remain  here  but  shall  be  compelled  to  emigrate.  No 
refugee  may  remain  nearer  the  boundary  than  eight 
hours ;  so,  should  my  tour  to  Geneva  be  long  deferred,  I 
would  risk  being  arrested  by  the  police,  and  set  over  the 
boundary  or  locked  up,  a  result  which  might  prove 
highly  inconvenient.  To  this  first  request  I  join  a  sec- 
ond. Should  it  be  possible,  under  a  description  (which 
fits  me  pretty  well)  with  an  assumed  beloved  name,  to 
get  me  a  passport  it  would  have  a  special  advantage  for 
me.  I  should  be  able  then  to  remain  not  only  upon  the 
French  or  Belgian  frontier,  but  as  near  as  possible  to 
my  home — even  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  Bonn 
— without  the  danger  of  being  discovered.  That  this 
would  prove  of  special  advantage  goes  without  saying. 
Anyway,  I  could  stay  in  Paris,  which  would  be  most  de- 
sirable from  the  point  of  view  of  my  education.     The 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  69 

only  difficulty  now  is  to  pass  the  frontiers  without  being 
arrested,  which  is  no  small  trick  in  the  present  watchful 
attitude  of  the  police.  As  aforesaid,  the  passport  may 
bear  whatever  name  you  choose — however,  the  descrip- 
tion must  fit  me  as  closely  as  possible.  If  both  these  re- 
quests meet  with  a  happy  fulfillment,  I  hope  to  improve 
the  duration  of  my  banishment  by  the  most  useful  and 
diversified  employment  possible. 

And  now  the  third  and  greatest  request.  For  two 
months  I  have  strayed  around  in  the  world  without  re- 
ceiving the  slightest  intelligence  concerning  you.  I  know 
not  if  you  are  well,  if  things  are  going  well  with  you, 
even  whether  you  are  still  living.  Do  you  realize  what 
that  means?  Day  and  night  I  have  worried  more  on 
your  account  than  on  my  own ;  day  and  night  the  thought 
of  your  cares,  your  labors,  your  tears,  tortured  me;  for 
you  must  have  believed  that  all  was  in  vain,  all  lost. 
Dear  parents,  I  feel  what  I  have  brought  upon  you,  but 
do  not  hold  it  against  me;  do  not  let  me  linger  or  pine 
for  a  word,  for  news,  concerning  you.  Though  you  send 
no  money,  though  I  must  go  begging,  yet  write  to  me  all 
of  you.  Write  to  me,  you  and  my  sisters,  so  that  I  may 
once  more  press  them  to  my  lips — those  precious  lines 
for  which  I  have  yearned  so  long  and  so  ardently.  In- 
expressibly do  I  long  for  the  day  on  which  I  shall  hold 
the  dear  page  in  my  hand  as  a  sweet  guarantee  that 
those  are  still  on  earth  whose  image  daily  becomes 
fresher  in  my  mind. 

Concerning  the  manner  in  which  you  are  to  send  the 
money  and  the  passport  you  may  confer  with  some  of 
my  friends  whom  I  shall  designate.  They  will  perhaps 
be  able  to  put  the  proper  means  in  your  hand.  Ask  Sulz- 
bach  if  he  cares  to  publish  my  diary.    It  will  make  about 


70  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

two  hundred  pages  and  contains,  on  the  subject  of  the 
Baden  revolution  and  especially  the  surrender  of  Ra- 
statt,  very  important  and  authentic  information  which  I 
was  able  to  give  because  I  was  always  in  immediate  con- 
tact with  the  commandant.  Tell  him  that  I  am  asking  2 
Frederick  dJor  per  signature  [thirty-two  pages  of  the 
printed  book]  in  monthly  installments  of  three  signa- 
tures each.  Meanwhile  I  shall  look  into  this  matter 
among  Swiss  book  dealers  also,  but  shall  wait  for  Sulz- 
bach's  decision  since  he  has  the  preference  in  any  event. 
Necessity  forces  me  into  these  demands,  which  however 
are  quite  unalterable.  Write  me  also  whether  the  Bon- 
ner Zeitung  still  exists,  and — what  would  be  dreadful — 
if  the  death  sentence  of  Kinkel  was  a  fact  and  his  execu- 
tion has  already  occurred.  I  can  hardly  believe  it ;  time 
brings  wondrous  things  to  pass,  and  we  ourselves  are  a 
witness  of  how  fearful  is  the  play  of  fate. 

I  sit  here,  still  in  a  state  of  deathly  exhaustion  from 
my  superhuman  exertions  in  Rastatt,  and  labor  inces- 
santly upon  the  editing  of  my  diary.  I  have  learned  to 
know  lif e  from  new  angles  and  shall  know  how  to  make 
that  knowledge  useful  to  myself.  Just  a  little  more  help 
and  I  am  wholly  saved.  I  know  that  I  shall  not  perish 
in  the  slime  of  idleness  in  which  most  of  the  refugees  here 
are  sinking.  My  intellectual  needs  guarantee  my  intellec- 
tual activity,  and  I  feel  clearly  that  I  have  gained  more 
than  I  have  lost  in  these  last  days.  Nothing  is  yet  lost ! 
Therefore,  courage  and  activity!  No  doubt  one  of  my 
friends  will  write  me.  You  can  combine  your  letter 
with  his.  Once  more  I  beg  you  to  raise  and  send  me  the 
money  at  once,  as  quickly  as  possible — only  do  not  tap 
your  own  resources.  Do  not  write  me  under  my  true 
name,  but  at  the  following  address :    Mr.  Gustav  Stahl, 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  71 

in  Hotel  Zur  Krone,  Dornachbruck  near  Basel,  Canton 
Solothurn.  Write  soon.  I  am  waiting  with  feverish 
longing.    Heartiest  greeting  to  all. 

To  His  Parents 

Near  Zurich,  August  15,  1849 
Your  letters,  brought  to  me  by  Strodtmann  with  con- 
scientious haste,  have  instantly  reanimated  my  exhausted 
powers  and  opened  my  soul  to  joy  again.  I  had  lain 
sick  abed  the  entire  day,  but  when  Strodtmann  arrived 
and  handed  me  your  precious  letters  I  leaped  up  as 
sound  as  a  fish  in  water  and  was  as  if  newly  born.  The 
very  next  morning  we  marched  hither  to  Zurich,  where  I 
think  of  staying  and  where  the  glorious  natural  sur- 
roundings, the  daily  view  of  which  exerts  such  an  inde- 
scribable influence,  and  the  excessively  quickening 
mountain  and  sea  air,  will  soon  make  a  new  man  of  me. 
I  can  assure  you,  however,  that  the  after-effects  of  my 
terrific  exertions  actually  narrow  down  to  a  few — a 
little  exhaustion  occasionally  and  a  rheumatic  pain  in 
my  right  leg,  grazed  by  a  bullet  at  Bruchsal  and  some- 
what neglected  by  me,  although  the  periosteum  was 
probably  injured  a  little — that  is  all.  A  few  days  will 
heal  this  too.  But  how  have  I  deserved  all  the  touching 
care  and  love  which  is  vouchsafed  me  ?  My  friends,  full 
of  sympathetic  zeal,  have  shunned  no  effort  to  help  and 
benefit  me;  and  my  good  old  father  does  not  shun  the 
long  road  to  Rastatt  to  set  eyes  on  me  once  more — the 
supposedly  lost  one!  He  is  now  doubtless  returned,  to 
receive  the  gladder  tidings  which  reached  home  in  his 
absence.  I  pray  you,  write  me  at  once;  the  matter  dis- 
quiets me  greatly.    I  trust  nothing  has  happened  to  him 


72  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

while  seeking  and  not  finding  me.  Had  he  only  known 
my  place  of  refuge,  he  might  have  been  with  me  in 
Dornachbruck  in  less  than  a  day.  Answer  about  this 
by  return  mail.  Satisfied  on  this  point,  I  shall  once 
more  be  able  to  live  a  quiet  life  until  my  strength  per- 
mits me  with  redoubled  zeal  to  resume  the  business  of  my 
calling. 

I  have  rented  a  good,  cheap,  and  simple  room  here 
in  a  village  not  two  hundred  paces  from  Zurich.  My 
windows  open  upon  the  lake  and  the  ice-covered  moun- 
tains, and  it  is  but  a  few  steps  to  the  top  of  a  hill  whence 
one  can  enjoy  the  grandest  and  most  sublime  of  all 
views.  I  shall  write  you  later  how  beautiful  it  is  here — 
just  now  the  spirit  urges  me  to  write  of  other  things. 
Were  you  really  without  news  of  any  kind  about  me  dur- 
ing that  whole  long  period?  Your  last  letter  I  received 
through  Anneke's  wife  the  very  day  we  were  marched 
out  of  Kaiserslautern.  And  from  that  day  forth  I  had 
to  be  in  the  saddle  day  and  night,  on  marches  and  biv- 
ouacs, constantly  near  the  enemy,  and  finding  not  a  mo- 
ment of  leisure  which  would  have  enabled  me  to  write, 
much  as  I  longed  to  do  so,  aside  from  the  few  hours 
for  sleeping  granted  me  now  and  then.  Finally,  two 
days  after  the  battle  at  Bruchsal,  on  the  twenty-fifth  of 
June,  I  went  to  Offenburg  for  the  purpose  of  rendering 
myself  fit  for  service  as  quickly  as  possible.  While  at- 
tending to  my  wound  there  I  wrote  you  on  the  twenty- 
fifth  of  June  and  asked  the  innkeeper  on  the  twenty- 
sixth  to  send  it  through  France ;  and  on  the  morning  of 
the  twenty-seventh,  having  been  roughly  put  in  shape, 
I  had  to  return  to  headquarters,  which  had  then  been 
established  in  Rastatt.  Did  you  not  receive  this  letter 
of  June  25  written  from  Offenburg?     It  was  the  last 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  73 

one  I  wrote,  for  as  soon  as  Rastatt  was  invested  it  was 
no  longer  possible  to  think  of  writing  letters. 

I  have  experienced  great  and  interesting  things,  and 
had  remarkable  fortunes,  and  now  that  all  the  misery  is 
over  I  rejoice  that  I  experienced  them.  My  longing  for 
you,  the  uncertainty  concerning  my  father's  journey  to 
Rastatt,  are  the  only  things  that  still  worry  me.  About 
my  own  future  I  have  no  fears.  Fate  has  armed  and 
steeled  me  against  all  distress,  every  affliction.  I  have 
suffered  and  endured  so  much  that  I  look  forward  with 
keen  confidence  to  any  fortune  that  may  now  come  to 
me.  He  who  feels  in  himself  enough  force  and  courage 
to  conquer  life  can  be  sure  of  eventual  victory,  even 
though  unable  to  avoid  some  severe  battles.  That  such 
struggles  will  come  is  certain;  but  equally  certain  is  it 
that  my  past  will  be  the  best  protection  against  my  fu- 
ture. It  seems,  to  be  sure,  that  I  have  taken  a  long  step 
away  from  the  goal  I  had  formerly  set  for  myself,  and 
this  pains  me  not  a  little  when  I  think  of  you  who 
brought  me  thus  far  by  the  sweat  of  your  brow.  Yet 
who  knows  whether  a  higher  goal  may  not  have  been 
brought  closer  to  me — closer  perhaps  than  we  can  know 
or  imagine  ?  And  as,  standing  in  the  presence  of  death, 
I  felt  what  it  is  to  live  and  what  one  must  do  in  order  to 
live  truly  and  worthily,  it  also  became  clearer  to  me  than 
ever  how  one  must  labor  in  order  to  have  truly  labored. 
I  shall  do  what  in  me  lies  to  become  what  in  me  lies.  And 
of  this  you  may  be  sure,  were  the  spur  to  this  lacking  in 
myself,  your  love  and  care  would  forbid  me  to  rest  or 
halt. 

My  friends  have  collected  so  much  money  for  me 
that,  for  the  present,  I  can  live  and  labor  in  security. 
There  is  little  lacking,  particularly  since  I  have  the  hope 


74  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

of  recovering,  at  least  in  part,  the  things  I  took  with  me 
from  home  and  which  got  out  of  my  hand  at  the  time  of 
the  withdrawal  of  the  headquarters  from  Rastatt.  I 
need  only  some  shirts,  say  three  or  four,  handkerchiefs, 
and  a  neckerchief.  These  things  are  very  dear  here,  and 
I  do  not  know  if  it  would  be  more  advantageous  for  you 
to  buy  them  there  and  send  them  to  me  than  for  me  to 
buy  them  here.  The  latter  course  would  exhaust  my 
means  considerably.  If  you  decide  in  favor  of  the 
former,  buy  me  only  colored  shirts.  I  learned  in  the 
campaign  how  good  and  practical  these  are. 

My  desire  to  return  and  live  for  a  time  quietly  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Bonn  I  feel  it  necessary  to  restrain 
for  the  time  being,  the  plan  being  as  yet  too  dangerous. 
I  have  learned  to  be  conscientiously  economical  of  my 
liberty.  Still  I  trust  it  will  not  be  too  long  until  we  see 
each  other  again.  Mail  time  is  approaching,  and  I  add 
the  most  pressing  request  that  you  write  me  instantly 
and  dissipate  my  worries  about  Father's  journey.  I 
await  the  letter  longingly.  If  more  money  is  raised  for 
me,  send  it  with  the  letter,  under  the  following  address : 
Diedrich  Rentrup,  Care  of  Madame  (widow)  Landolt, 
in  Enge,  near  Zurich. 

Please  greet  the  entire  family  for  me. 

To  His  Parents 

Zurich,  August  18,  1849 
For  the  second  time  and  momentarily  in  expectation 
of  a  letter  from  you,  I  am  writing  from  this  beautiful, 
wholesome,  for  me  so  lonesome,  Zurich.  I  am  writing 
merely  because  I  do  not  want  to  let  Strodtmann  leave 
without  utilizing  the  excellent  opportunity  of  talking 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  75 

with  you.  I  feel  that  I  can  here  carry  on  a  life  full  of 
lonely  activity.  Already,  since  the  joyful  greetings  are 
over,  I  have  renounced  most  of  the  acquaintanceships 
established  during  recent  months.  We  live  here  undis- 
turbed by  the  waves  of  political  life,  and  all  circum- 
stances combine  happily  to  establish  a  quiet,  scholarly 
life.  I  shall  endeavor  to  exploit  it  as  far  as  possible. 
My  health  is  almost  completely  restored.  My  fatigues 
seem  to  wish  to  spare  me  all  their  significant  after-pains. 
This  for  your  consolation  in  that  connection. 

My  things — coats,  trousers,  etc. — which  went  astray 
during  the  campaign  and  which  I  hoped  to  recover,  I 
have  not  yet  received.  But  I  expect  them  daily,  and 
with  them  and  the  things  I  asked  you  to  send  I  shall 
be  sufficiently  equipped  for  the  present. 

In  expectation  of  your  letter,  which  must  now  be  on 
the  way,  I  close  to  write  more  fully  on  receipt  of  it. 
Hearty  greetings  to  all  the  family. 

P.  S.  In  case  you  have  not  yet  sent  a  packet  off  to 
me,  it  would  be  well  if  you  were  to  add  a  vest,  since  I 
have  none  now.    You  can  buy  it  at  Wolff's. 


To  His  Parents 

Zurich,  October  3,  1849 
Opportunity  offering,  I  will  add  a  few  words  to  my 
letter  of  yesterday.  I  have  considered  more  fully  the 
matter  of  securing  an  individual  amnesty  from  the  min- 
ister of  justice  and  find  myself  in  a  very  peculiar  situa- 
tion in  relation  thereto.  My  interest  is  a  double  one: 
On  the  one  hand  I  must  try  to  get  back  as  quickly  as 
possible  into  the  old  routine.    But,  from  another  point 


76  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

of  view,  my  hands  are  tied  in  many  matters  by  popular 
opinion,  which  I  dare  not  oppose  because  my  entire  fu- 
ture is  based  thereon.  Through  my  part  in  the  Palat- 
inate-Badish  Revolutionary  War,  my  popularity  and 
standing  among  the  people  has  risen  considerably.  I 
have  won  by  it,  but  I  recognize  at  the  same  time  that  I 
would  lose  all  this  should  I  stoop  to  prefer  a  request  of 
the  present  powers.  Also,  it  goes  against  my  innermost 
nature  to  demean  myself  before  my  enemies  for  merely 
my  own  personal  interest.  It  is  in  fact  impossible  for 
me,  and  I  will  not  agree  to  it  under  any  circumstances. 
It  would  be  different  if  it  involved  the  interests  of  others. 
You  know  how  much  I  have  been  moved  by  the  fate  of 
Ungar.  I  am  convinced  that  my  participation  in  the 
lawsuit  might  have  a  material  influence  upon  its  success ; 
it  might  be  possible  for  me  to  save  him. 

Were  it  possible,  without  my  personal  cooperation, 
for  others  to  secure  an  amnesty  for  me,  under  the  condi- 
tion that  in  the  Siegburg  matter  I  appear  before  my  reg- 
ular judge,  I  should  have  nothing  against  it.  But  even 
this  matter  would  have  to  be  handled  with  the  utmost 
caution.  I  must  have  a  reserve  through  which  I  can 
prove  the  purity  of  my  motives  to  all  and  at  all  times. 
That  might  be  secured  in  the  following  way:  Some 
citizen,  for  example  Hittorf  or  Rass,  must  be  induced  to 
write  me  urging  that  I  apply  for  an  amnesty.  I  would 
answer  and  this  exchange  of  letters  could  later  serve  as 
a  document  to  prove  my  sentiments.  It  could,  in  case  of 
necessity,  be  printed,  etc.  One  of  you,  along  with  one  of 
the  indicated  citizens,  or  with  Lawyer  Schmitz,  could 
hold  a  conference  and  consider  what  may  perhaps  be 
done  in  the  matter.  This  gentleman  must  be  told  of  my 
firm  determination  not  to  be  admitted  to  private  am- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     77 

nesty.  Besides,  they  must  in  nowise  be  allowed  to  see 
that  I  knew  about  the  step  you  were  taking  or  had  in  the 
slightest  degree  suggested  it.  Finally,  they  must  be 
urged  to  write  to  me  directly  about  the  matter,  and 
quickly.  Hittorf  would  be  best.  As  aforesaid,  I  would 
not  at  any  price  stoop  to  a  request  which  could  place  me 
before  the  people  as  a  schoolboy  begging  off  before  his 
teacher.  Also,  I  shall  not  take  the  first  step  which  might 
cast  a  shadow  upon  my  reputation  or  a  doubt  upon  my 
views.  If,  in  this  whole  business,  I  cannot  stand  out  as 
a  man  whose  honor  and  principles  are  dearer  than  his 
happiness,  I  renounce  all  clemency  of  a  ruler.  In  the 
above  suggested  manner  whereby  I  contest  personally 
for  my  right,  everything  injurious  can  be  avoided. 
Above  all,  however,  do  not  approach  Professor  Sell  and 
that  gang;  if  a  step  is  to  be  taken  and  they  want  to  do 
something,  there  will  always  be  time  for  it.  It  is  not  nec- 
essary to  let  men  whose  sentiments  are  very  doubtful  see 
our  cards.  Manage  the  business  prudently.  Honor  is  a 
sensitive  thing,  and  remember  how  difficult  it  is  to  rid 
oneself  of  an  imputation,  however  groundless  it  may  be. 
I  want  to  stand  out  clean,  and  you  must  all  wish  it  with 
me.  Hasten  this  matter  and  destroy  my  letter  so  that  it 
may  fall  into  no  one's  hands.  I  greet  you  all  most 
heartily. 

Do  not  take  any  step  without  letting  me  know. 
Once  again  I  beg  you  let  me  know  about  Ungar's  trial. 
My  other  plans  remain  as  before. 

To  His  Parents 

Zurich,  October  9,  1849 
I  hasten  with  the  answer  so  that  if  possible  my  letter 
may  arrive  in  time.    I  wrote  you  a  couple  of  lines  several 


78  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

days  ago  which  you  must  have  received  now  per  en- 
closure. Therein  I  developed  a  plan  which  bases  itself 
upon  what  the  minister  of  justice,  as  you  wrote  me,  sent 
out  concerning  individual  amnesty.  In  the  newspapers 
I  have  hitherto  found  nothing  about  this  announcement 
of  the  minister  of  justice,  wherefore  I  unfortunately 
came  to  the  belief  that  the  whole  matter  probably  rests 
upon  an  error.  If  that  is  true,  of  course  my  whole  plan 
falls  asunder ;  the  one,  namely,  which  is  described  in  my 
last  little  letter. 

As  to  my  other  plan,  I  shall  in  any  case  delay  its  exe- 
cution until  the  end  of  this  month.  It  is  possible  that  by 
that  time  other  prospects  will  appear  which  may  cir- 
cumvent or  lessen  the  dangers  involved  in  the  step.  As 
soon  as  I  have  reached  a  definite  conclusion  I  will  notify 
you  of  it,  as  also  concerning  the  manner  in  which  the 
thing  can  be  carried  out.  In  regard  to  community  steps 
in  this  behalf  we  can  later  come  to  more  definite  agree- 
ment. Since  considerable  time  will  necessarily  elapse 
and  the  whole  matter  must  first  be  more  carefully 
worked  out,  please  send  me  the  things  that  are  there 
for  me,  but  especially  I  should  like  my  overcoat. 

If  the  legend  of  the  journey  of  young  Edlibach  to 
Italy  and  my  participation  therein  were  true,  I  should 
be  mightily  pleased.  But  unfortunately  I  have  thus 
far  heard  not  a  word  about  it.  Edlibach  also,  so  far  as  I 
know,  is  not  in  Zurich  at  all.  Such  a  journey  to  Italy 
would  enable  me  to  pass  the  winter  in  the  pleasantest 
and  most  educative  way.  Could  you  perhaps  inquire 
of  Dr.  Schafer  about  it,  and  if  there  is  any  truth  in  the 
project  it  would  be  very  welcome  to  me. 

But  I  should  like  to  know  in  the  most  definite  way 
how  things  stand  in  regard  to  that  individual  amnesty, 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     79 

whether  it  is  really  in  prospect  or  not.  In  the  first  in- 
stance I  could  at  least  request  permission  for  a  four 
weeks'  stay  in  Bonn  such  as  Veneday  actually  received 
in  1840.  If  the  matter  were  properly  presented  from 
our  side  it  would  hardly  fail.  But  before  I  take  a  step 
in  this  matter  I  must  have  authentic  and  thorough  re- 
ports, and  I  must  say  that  something  of  that  kind  would 
be  most  welcome  to  me.  A  permanent  return  can  hardly 
be  thought  of  for  me  until  a  complete  change  in  the 
aspect  of  things  occurs,  but  I  believe  that  we  shall  not 
have  to  wait  for  this  longer  than  the  second  quarter  of 
next  year.  Should  I  even  now  be  able,  with  effort  and 
humiliation  of  spirit,  to  secure  an  individual  amnesty, 
I  would  at  the  very  least  be  stuck  into  a  regiment  for 
two  years,  and  these  years  they  would  know  how  to  em- 
bitter for  me  to  such  a  degree  that  it  would  probably  be 
just  as  well  for  me  to  spend  them  in  prison. 

Kamm  does  in  fact  owe  me  some  money — seven 
gulden.  He  was  in  dreadful  need;  still  I  am  certain 
that  I  shall  get  it  back.  Should  Hofling  hold  back  the 
money  collected  for  me,  I  should  indeed  consider  that 
mean.  Tell  him  as  opportunity  offers  that  I  have  writ- 
ten he  should  turn  over  to  you  all  he  has  for  me.  That 
would  please  me  particularly  inasmuch  as  in  the  carry- 
ing out  of  my  plans  I  shall  perhaps  not  come  out  even. 

I  am  getting  along  as  well  as  one  in  exile  can.  My 
health  is  once  more  quite  sound.  I  am  studying  with 
much  comfort  and  get  along  all  the  faster  for  having  no 
other  enjoyment.  In  order  to  establish  a  future  as  a 
learned  man,  this  circumstance  of  banishment  might  not 
be  so  bad  were  I  not  always  oppressed  with  thoughts  of 
you  and  my  home.  I  have  kept  up  my  courage,  but  I 
know  very  well  that  a  reversal  of  things  would  bring  a 


80  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

better  but  not  less  stormy  future.  Everything  that  was 
lost  for  us  heretofore  a  single  moment  may  restore.  Ac- 
cordingly, we  should  merely  be  careful  that  nothing 
more  be  lost  and  that  that  moment  may  find  us  yet. 
How  are  my  sisters?  Are  they  well?  Has  Nettie  de- 
cided to  become  a  schoolmistress?  .  .  .  Mrs.  Kamm 
has  told  me  a  great  deal  about  little  Trina.  I  send  greet- 
ings to  her. 

I  shall  maturely  consider  the  business  until  the  end 
of  the  month  and  then  make  my  decision.  I  know  how 
to  appreciate  the  great  danger,  and  you  can  well  under- 
stand that  I  who  have  purchased  my  freedom  at  so  great 
a  cost  will  not  carelessly  place  it  in  jeopardy. 

Be  so  good  in  your  next  letter  as  to  give  me  a  de- 
tailed and  reliable  explanation  of  the  alleged  individual 
amnesty,  prospect  of  which  was  held  out  by  the  minister 
of  justice.  The  matter  might  be  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance. With  most  hearty  greetings  to  you,  my  sis- 
ters, and  all  friends. 


To  Christian  Schurz 

Zurich,  October  20,  1849 
In  our  discussion  as  to  whether  I  should  carry  out 
my  design,  we  quite  overlooked  one  point.  I  shall  not 
be  able  to  remain  in  Belgium  without  proper  certificates 
of  identity.  I  should  have  to  have  a  new  passport  if 
possible  for  one  year.  I  have  reflected  much  as  to  which 
one  of  my  relatives  or  friends  could  secure  it  for  me,  and 
have  fixed  on  Herbert  or  Mathias- Joseph.  But  were  I 
to  remain  in  Switzerland  a  passport  designated  for 
France,  Belgium,  and  Switzerland  would  be  very  ser- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     81 

viceable  to  me.    I  beg  you  to  inquire  if  it  would  be  pos- 
sible to  secure  such  a  passport  from  that  source. 

New  prospects  have  now  opened  up  for  me  here. 
You  see,  in  the  University  of  Zurich  the  studies  I  am 
pursuing  are  taught  in  the  weakest  manner.  In  history 
there  is  but  one  professor,  and  he  lectures  only  on  Swiss 
history.  For  the  whole  of  the  balance  of  the  field  there 
is  not  even  a  Privatdocent.  I  have  obtained  information 
about  the  examination  and  find  that  I  could  easily  be 
prepared  for  it  within  a  year.  If  no  new  agitation  in 
Germany  shall  have  brought  about  a  change  in  affairs 
by  that  time,  I  believe  it  would  be  my  wisest  course  to 
stick  to  this  project  with  utmost  perseverance.  It  is 
pretty  much  a  matter  of  indifference  whether  I  find  my 
living  in  Germany  or  in  Switzerland,  just  so  I  find  it. 
A  certain  inspiration  to  scholarly  achievement  now  pre- 
vails here.  Some  of  the  refugees  of  the  educated  class 
have  united  in  the  decision  to  do  as  much  as  in  them  lies 
toward  the  education  of  the  others,  as  well  the  wholly 
uneducated  as  those  who  have  had  good  preparation.  A 
sort  of  institute  will  be  the  outcome,  to  which  the  Swiss 
superior  officers  have  already  promised  their  approval 
and  support.  I  am  interested  in  it  and  hope  that  out 
of  this  educational  movement  certain  not  inconsiderable 
material  advantages  may  emerge;  for  example,  a  free 
dwelling  place.  A  few  more  days  will  determine  how 
far  our  expectations  are  to  be  fulfilled.  If  they  should 
be  reasonably  satisfied,  it  would  seem  wisest  for  me  to 
remain  in  Switzerland,  particularly  since,  after  a  re- 
moval to  Belgium,  I  should  hardly  have  the  prospect 
of  coming  back.  The  outlook  for  a  future  position  is  by 
no  means  to  be  despised,  and  I  shall  do  my  best.  In  case 
a  new  revolution  should  make  the  soil  of  the  fatherland 


82  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

accessible  again,  a  thing  I  hold  to  be  very  probable, 
such  foundation-laying  as  is  herein  contemplated  would 
not  be  "built  in  the  wind,"  for  it  is  always  good  to  keep 
open  a  door  for  unforeseen  accidents.  Write  me  your 
views  as  you  have  opportunity.  I  believe  you  will  agree 
with  me. 

Mrs.  Hess  has  delivered  to  me  the  things  and  the 
money.  I  thank  you  heartily  for  them.  She  has  also 
suggested  several  things  to  me — private  tutoring,  etc. — 
and  I  must  confess  that  every  means  which  will  enable 
me  to  keep  from  being  a  burden  to  you  and  also  prevent 
the  solicitude  of  my  friends  from  being  put  too  much 
to  the  test  is  in  highest  measure  welcome  to  me.  I  think 
it  pretty  certain  that  some  alleviation  of  my  situation 
will  soon  occur,  which  has  augmented  my  doubts  about 
exchanging  these  advantages  for  a  removal  with  wholly 
uncertain  future.  I  pray,  however,  that  all  these  mat- 
ters may  remain  among  ourselves. 

The  above-mentioned  passport  you  will  need  to  have 
executed  only  when  I  specifically  ask  for  it  and  have 
need  of  it. 

In  this  manner  I  trust  that  our  misf  ortune,  if  it  does 
not  lift,  may  still  become  bearable.  The  period  of  suf- 
fering cannot  last  long.  It  will  not  be  impossible,  with 
my  healthy  powers,  to  gain  a  better  future  for  us  all, 
and  you  know  that  my  will  to  do  it  is  not  lacking.  For 
this  reason,  however,  I  can  do  violence  to  my  intense 
longing  to  see  you  all,  oppressive  as  this  has  become  and 
may  yet  become  in  the  future.  Of  this  we  may  be  cer- 
tain, our  reunion  will  be  a  joyful  one.  Be  strong  and  do 
not  let  your  spirit  sink;  for  your  spirit  is  mine.  As 
soon  as  Strodtmann  gets  back,  ask  him  to  write  and  give 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     83 

me  his  address.  I  greet  you,  my  sisters,  and  all  friends 
most  heartily. 

P.  S.  Mrs.  Hess  tells  me  much  about  Kinkel,  that  he 
seems  to  have  changed  his  mind,  etc.  Do  tell  me  what 
there  is  in  this. —  Should  there  be  an  opportunity  to 
send  me  my  coat  with  the  cape,  I  would  be  very  grate- 
ful. 


To  Christian  Schurz 

Zurich,  January  31,  1850 
I  am  extremely  perplexed  to  have  waited  in  vain 
since  December  20,  1849,  for  an  answer  from  you,  and 
yet  a  letter  from  Meyer  received  at  the  beginning  of 
January  shows  that  you  must  have  had  mine  of  the 
middle  of  the  preceding  month.  I  wrote  again  the  fourth 
of  January,  but  in  vain.  Did  this  letter  arrive  and  the 
one  I  addressed  to  H.  Hittorf  ?  What,  then,  has  hap- 
pened to  cause  you  to  leave  me  so  long  in  most  painful 
uncertainty?  Or  have  you  perhaps  written  and  was  the 
letter  intercepted  at  the  post  office?  I  have  grounds  to 
fear  the  latter,  for  the  letter  from  Meyer  bore  unmistak- 
able evidence  of  having  been  opened.  I  shall  write 
Meyer  particulars  concerning  it.  I  pray  you,  write  me 
instantly.  I  know  not  in  the  least  how  things  are  going 
with  you — whether  you  are  well  and  contented.  The 
most  peculiar,  gloomy  forebodings  cross  my  mind.  If 
it  has  happened  that  one  of  your  letters  was  left  lying 
in  the  post  office,  reclaim  it  in  order  that  I  may  get  it. 

My  circumstances  are  such  that  I  cannot  complain. 
We  support  one  another,  according  to  ability,  and  to- 
gether overcome  our  perplexities.    At  the  end  of  De- 


84  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

cember  I  gave  up  my  old  residence,  it  being  too  cold 
to  work  there.  I  now  live  with  merchant  Dolder,  by  the 
moat,  in  Zurich,  to  which  place  all  your  letters  should  be 
directed.  More  about  this  next  time.  My  disquiet  pre- 
vents me  from  giving  you  more  details  about  my  situa- 
tion. 

Our  lawsuit  is  probably  going  on.  Would  it  not  be 
possible  for  you  to  send,  soon,  the  Cologne  newspapers 
in  which  the  proceedings  are  reported?  It  might  per- 
haps be  necessary  to  write  something  concerning  it  and 
to  give  it  publicity  in  one  or  more  papers. 

Again  I  implore  you  for  a  prompt  answer. 

To  Christian  Schurz 

Zurich,  February  8,  1850 
I  have  just  posted  a  letter  to  Herbert  praying  him 
promptly  to  take  care  of  the  matter  of  a  passport  for 
me.15  I  may  perhaps  need  it  soon.  At  any  rate,  mo- 
mentous events  are  approaching,  events  which  may  mo- 
mentarily worsen  our  condition  considerably  but  whose 
ultimate  results  will  unquestionably  be  favorable.  Much 
is  said  here  about  the  enmity  of  Austria  toward  Switzer- 
land, about  expelling  the  refugees,  etc.  Though  these 
things  are  not  to  be  fully  credited,  yet  without  doubt 
they  rest  partly  on  facts.  An  expulsion  would  place 
us  all  in  the  severest  straits,  for  money  is  very  scarce 
everywhere  and  without  it  nothing  is  to  be  accomplished. 
How  the  crisis  may  pass  is  still  impenetrable.  Were  it 
possible  to  make  available  to  me  as  much  as  would  enable 
me  to  shift  my  residence,  I  should  find  it  a  great  relief. 

15  This  was  in  preparation  for  his  dangerous  expedition  into  Prussia 
to  liberate  Kinkel.     See  letter  written  at  sea,  middle  of  November,  post,  90. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  85 

Yet  I  always  hope  it  may  not  come  to  this.  At  present 
no  kind  of  danger  threatens  us,  but  it  is  well  to  be  pre- 
pared, as  far  as  possible,  for  eventualities.  Since  Meier 
has  been  arrested,  as  I  read  with  regret,  I  know  no  one 
among  the  students  at  this  moment  with  whom  I  could 
correspond.  Strodtmann,  since  his  expulsion,  has  not 
been  heard  from  at  all  and  his  place  of  residence  is  al- 
together unknown  to  me.  It  would  be  particularly 
pleasing  to  me  to  continue  in  relations  with  at  least  one 
of  the  Bonn  students.  If  any  one  of  my  people  [of 
Franconia]  should  come  to  you,  please  request  him  to 
write  to  me. 

Your  last  letter  reached  me  just  an  hour  after  I  had 
posted  mine  to  you.  It  is  a  great  satisfaction  to  know 
that  you  are  all  well.    I  am  so  likewise. 

In  two  or  three  days  I  shall  give  more  particular  re- 
ports of  our  circumstances  to  the  Bonner  Zeitung  and 
will  also  write  more  fully  about  them  to  you.  For  today, 
accept  my  love  with  these  few  lines,  and  let  the  enclosed 
letter  be  commended  to  your  prompt  attention. 

In  haste,  with  heartiest  greeting. 

To  Christian  Schurz 

Zurich,  February  18,  1850 
The  nearer  spring  approaches,  the  nearer  comes  the 
decision.  No  one  can  have  failed  to  observe  that  things 
are  preparing  east  and  west,  north  and  south,  which 
will  materially  alter  our  circumstances.  I  hinted  in  my 
last  letter  something  in  relation  to  an  early  action 
against  the  fugitives  either  through  an  Austrian  armed 
invasion  or  through  new  edicts  of  the  confederation 
chamber.     The  latest  reports  indicate  that,  while  there 


86  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

is  something  to  the  above,  we  shall  still  be  safe  here  for 
a  time.  I  have  written  Herbert  urging  the  sending  of 
the  passport  with  the  greatest  possible  dispatch.  I 
might  need  it  soon,  for  the  Zurich  police  appear  to  be 
extremely  malicious  toward  the  refugees.  I  beg,  how- 
ever, you  will  be  as  secret  as  possible  about  the  passport 
business,  for  the  police  there,  if  they  should  hear  about 
it,  could  either  try  to  intercept  the  letter  in  the  mail  or 
else  make  things  inconvenient  for  me  here.  My  per- 
sonal circumstances  are  endurable.  I  suffer  no  want 
though  I  cannot  deny  some  money  would  be  welcome, 
particularly  because  we  are  never  quite  certain  but  that 
sudden  occurrences  may  make  a  change  of  base  neces- 
sary. Be  good  enough  to  write  me  in  detail,  soon,  how 
matters  stand  at  that  end.  Every  report  is  significant 
to  us.  The  departure  of  the  post  makes  it  necessary  to 
close  this  letter.    For  today,  farewell. 


To  ? 

Berlin,  September,  185016 
Though  I  do  not  know  at  this  moment  where  in  all 
the  wide  world  to  place  you,  I  cannot  repress  the  desire 
to  write  you  some  words  and  will  confide  these  lines  to 
any  favorable  wind.  First  a  reproach.  Why  have  I 
heard  not  a  single  syllable  from  you  since  our  last  meet- 
ing? The  way  from  you  to  me  was  always  safely  open 
to  you  through  your  brother,  and  I  imagine  we  might 
have  had  this  or  that  to  say  to  each  other.     But  I  see 

16  This  letter,  undated,  of  Carl  Schurz,  written  from  Berlin  in  Septem- 
ber, 1850,  and  in  part  published  in  the  Vossischen  Zeitung,  1912,  no.  236, 
was  discovered  by  Dr.  M.  Ballcrt  in  the  proceedings  of  the  inquest  against 
the  Berlin  physician  Ferdinand  Falkenthal,  with  whom  Schurz  lived  dur- 
ing the  final  weeks  preceding  the  rescue  of  Kinkel.  The  addressee  of 
the  letter  could  not  be  ascertained.     [A.  S.] 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  87 

that  I  must  take  the  initiative  again,  a  proceeding  which 
has  often  been  more  flattering  to  me  than  in  this  case. 

I  write  these  lines  in  Berlin,  whose  walls  have  har- 
bored me  nearly  three  weeks  and  will  probably  harbor 
me  longer  yet,  for  I  am  chained  to  the  place  where  I  sit, 
like  Prometheus  to  the  rock,  and  cannot  move.  Do  not 
be  frightened ;  I  am  not  occupying  a  prison  cell  or  one 
of  the  iron-railed  guard-houses,  but  a  simple  student 
room,  which  however  is  nearly  as  lonesome  as  the  prison 
cell.  I  had  to  propitiate  my  good  star  through  a  bit  of 
hard  luck.  The  incident  may  interest  you,  for  it  is 
medical.  One  morning  about  two  weeks  ago  I  entered 
the  bath  in  order  to  prepare  fittingly  for  the  heat  of  a 
day  pulsing  with  activity.  As,  anointed  by  a  health- 
giving  ice-cold  shower,  I  walked  up  through  the  bath- 
house, barefoot  to  my  neck,  in  the  pride  of  my  Apollo- 
nian limbs,  on  a  slippery  step  my  feet  shot  out  from 
under  me  with  wondrous  facility  and  I  fell  full  length 
with  corresponding  force.  After  they  had  taken  me 
home,  with  much  labor  (I  suffered  distracting  pains), 
late  in  the  afternoon  two  doctors  (after  an  examination 
conducted  with  the  aid  of  chloroform)  decided  that  my 
right  thigh-bone  was  not  broken,  but  that  a  very  severe 
contusion  of  the  muscle  had  occurred.  Now  there  had 
to  be  blood-letting,  bandaging,  etc.,  and  after  five  days 
I  was  actually  so  far  along  as  to  be  able  to  crawl  out  of 
bed  and  sit  on  a  chair  for  several  minutes.  Now  I  slink 
around  my  room  conscious  of  an  hourly  access  of 
strength,  but  still  unable  to  stand  alone  and  obliged  to 
hold  on  to  chairs — longing  impetuously  for  the  time 
which  will  restore  me  to  a  free,  two-legged  state.  It  is 
not  far  away  now.  Though  I  had  marvelous  pretty 
dreams  during  my  chloroform  sleep,  and  the  cupping 


88  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

process  was  rare  fun,  I  will  not  deny  that  my  whole  situ- 
ation assumed  a  somewhat  inconvenient  and  unpleasant 
character.  But  I  have  already  got  forward  so  hand- 
somely in  the  practice  of  peripatetic  study  and  have  such 
fortunate  sources  of  scientific  aid  here,  that  it  has  not 
been  necessary  to  step  outside  of  the  circle  nearest  to  my 
intellectual  labors.  So  far  all  is  well,  and  I  have  no  par- 
ticular inclination  to  be  misanthropic. 

Oh,  this  Berlin!  How  I  rejoice  that  I  was  able  to 
live  and  observe  here  for  some  days!  Berlin  with  its 
splendid  line-straight  streets,  its  magnificent  palaces,  its 
wondrously  beautiful  theatres  and  museums,  its  con- 
stables and  white  and  black  cockades,  its  guard  lieu- 
tenants and  white-beer  philistines !  Berlin  is  truly  beau- 
tiful, the  archtype  of  a  modern  princely  residence,  with 
brightly  cleaned  houses  and  large  windowpanes,  inces- 
santly disturbed  by  the  din  of  omnibuses  and  equipages. 

But  Berlin  lacks  one  thing  which  gives  imposing 
character  to  great  cities:  In  Berlin  you  find  nothing 
that  bears  on  its  brow  the  stamp  of  great  history.  It  is 
hardly  possible  here  to  draw  a  parallel  with  Paris.  How 
can  a  statue  of  old  Ziethen  stir  me  here;  or  Blucher's, 
Scharnhorst's,  or  Billow's ;  or  even  an  equestrian  statue 
of  Frederick  the  Great?  They  stand  like  anecdotes  in 
history,  and  nothing  is  associated  with  their  fame  aside 
from  a  little  cold  admiration.  Here  one  cannot  read, 
as  at  a  Paris  street  corner,  a  chapter  in  world-history. 
Even  the  few  and  mean  occurrences  of  1848  in  their  im- 
potent instability  fail  to  lift  our  souls  through  any  great 
memories. 

How  different  it  was  in  Paris  in  1789,  when  the 
people  had  as  yet  done  little  more  than  storm  the  Bas- 
tille!    Everything  there  was  more  universal,  more  au- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     89 

thoritative  for  the  civilized  world.  And  even  the  French 
legitimate  kingship  was,  in  itself,  an  immensely  more 
significant  phenomenon.  Apart  from  the  tremendous 
material  power,  the  court  of  Versailles  ruled  the  taste 
of  Europe  for  hundreds  of  years.  If  that  court  was 
frivolous  and  wicked,  it  became  at  once  the  duty  of  edu- 
cated Europe  to  be  frivolous  and  wicked.  If  a  mistress 
in  Versailles  loved  ostentation,  all  Europe  took  to  show- 
ing off.  If  a  king  became  old  and  pious,  the  world's 
"four  hundred"  dropped  upon  prayer  stools.  Though 
this  phenomenon  is  often  degrading  and  disgusting,  it 
remains  distinguished  and  splendid.  And  all  these  vari- 
egated affairs  of  Europe  one  can  read  upon  the  windows 
of  the  Tuilleries,  in  the  Luxemburg  gardens,  and  in  the 
courts  of  Versailles.  Shall  I  narrate  the  glorious  mem- 
ories of  the  revolution,  the  nattonal  pride  in  the  Empire, 
of  which  every  pillar  there,  every  plaster  cast,  the  name 
of  every  street  seem  to  preach?  Where  would  it  be  pos- 
sible, here  in  Berlin,  to  feel  the  profound  thrill  I  ex- 
perienced one  evening  in  the  garden  of  the  Tuilleries 
as  I  leaned,  lonesome,  against  the  pillar  of  Spartacus, 
in  this  overpowering  image  of  revolutionary  force  and 
heard  all  around  me  in  great  circles  the  eternally  thun- 
dering streets  of  Paris  ? 

And  then  the  people!  I  do  not  know  whether  you 
know  the  South  German  folk  intimately  enough  to 
draw  a  parallel  between  them  and  the  North  Germans. 
How  different  they  are  even  along  the  Rhine!  Where 
do  you  find,  among  them,  the  sickly,  spiritless  apathy 
we  find  here;  where  the  insufferable  superciliousness, 
which  even  tries  to  exceed  itself  ?  At  first,  as  was  my 
habit,  I  regarded  the  people  with  all  good  humor,  and 
cannot  forbear  to  tell  you  a  little  incident.    In  coming 


90  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

hither  on  the  railway  I  fell  in  at  Magdeburg  with  a 
young  woman  returning  with  her  children  from  a  tour 
of  the  Rhine.  The  children  cried  and  the  mother  was 
in  a  state  of  despair  such  as  is  not  uncommon  on  a 
journey.  Finally  the  desperation  of  the  woman  changed 
to  an  attack  of  anger.  She  was  a  Berliner.  "On  the 
railway,"  she  began,  "everybody  is  treated  alike.  The 
officials  run  hither  and  thither  as  if  they  had  wondrous 
much  to  do.  No  one  asks  who  you  are,  and  (she  added 
weepingly)  on  the  railway  one  cannot  dress  according 
to  what  one  should  really  represent.  If  my  husband 
knew  that!"  "I've  got  to  punish  that  woman,"  thought 
I,  and  asked  with  the  most  cold-blooded  shamelessness : 
"What,  then,  is  your  husband?"  "He  is  in  the  minis- 
try," she  replied.  "What,  your  husband  is  a  minister?" 
said  I.  "He  is  in  the  ministry,"  she  said  rather  deject- 
edly. "Oh !"  said  I ;  "well,  that  will  pass."  Fortunately 
the  company  was  tactful  enough  to  swallow  the  laughter 
that  threatened  to  break  out,  but  the  woman  was  quiet 
as  a  mouse  all  the  way  to  Berlin. 

To  His  Parents  and  Sisters 

At  Sea,  middle  of  November,  1850 
For  more  than  three  months  you  have  had  to  wait 
for  the  moment  which  would  bring  news  of  your  son 
and  brother.  I  went  away  secretly,  without  a  parting 
word,  and  left  nothing  with  you  but  a  difficult  time  filled 
with  the  cares  of  a  bitter  uncertainty.  Did  the  news  of 
Kinkel's  rescue  finally  cast  a  light  ray  into  the  secrecy 
of  my  departure?  In  fact,  the  news  which  connects 
Kinkel's  escape  and  my  name  is  true.  Luck  was  favor- 
able to  us,  making  good  the  boldness  of  the  hazard. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     91 

Did  I  not  do  right  to  keep  from  you  that  I  spent 
three  months  in  Berlin  and  Spandau?  In  hiding  my- 
self from  my  friends  I  hid  more  .securely  from  the  po- 
lice. One  favorable  night  permitted  the  rescue  of 
Kinkel,  and  the  smooth  working  of  our  arrangements 
hurried  us  quickly  beyond  the  danger  of  pursuit.  At 
the  moment  you  are  reading  this  the  sea  is  bearing  us  to 
the  coast  of  England,  or  perhaps  a  friendly  port  has 
already  received  us.  The  time  of  danger  is  past  and  we 
are  well  and  happy. 

Will  you  ask  how  I  could  have  so  jeopardized  my- 
self and  you  in  this  affair?  The  answer  will  be  read  in 
the  glad  countenances  that  surround  you.  Is  not  Kinkel 
a  great  power  in  the  party,  and  a  friend?  Something 
had  to  be  risked  for  him.  Such  bold  undertakings  must 
be  judged  by  their  results.  The  joy  of  succeeding 
makes  superfluous  an  excuse  for  the  risk.  I  beg  you 
to  think  so  too;  rejoice  with  the  rest,  and  let  us  not 
have  too  many  words  about  it. 

But  you  must  not  believe  that  in  the  moments  of 
danger  I  was  less  conscious  than  at  other  times,  that 
every  step  I  was  taking  should  give  the  measure  of  my 
obligation  to  you.  I  thought  about  that  too,  but  there 
were  other  things  also  that  I  must  not  forget.  Please  do 
not  reproach  me  for  this  seeming  inconsiderateness  of 
mine,  for  it  would  be  bitter  to  hear  from  your  mouths 
the  somber  demand  of  everyday  life  that  one  must  sac- 
rifice a  great  ideal  for  petty  cares.  I  am  happy  in  the 
consciousness  that  I  shall  not  so  readily  subordinate 
purposes  to  doubts  instead  of  doubts  to  purposes.  Do 
not  let  it  appear  too  dangerous  to  you.  For  the  present 
the  danger  is  past,  and  I  foresee  no  new  one  in  the  im- 
mediate future. 


92  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

I  shall  not  so  soon  again  abandon  the  safe  soil  of  a 
neutral  land,  and  a  quiet  scholarly  activity  will  I  trust 
at  last  afford  me  opportunity  and  means  to  serve  also 
as  a  secure  support  to  you.  I  shall  hardly  remain  in 
England.  I  am  thinking  of  spending  the  winter  in 
Paris,  studying  and  writing  as  much  as  possible.  I 
have  the  firm  conviction  that  I  shall  be  able  to  keep  my- 
self there.  The  rest  we  shall  have  to  entrust  to  the  fu- 
ture. I  put  a  little  trust  in  my  luck;  you  must  do  the 
same. 

The  first  thing  I  am  hoping  for  is  a  letter  from  you. 
Please  do  not  write  too  much  about  the  anxiety  and  care 
you  felt  in  regard  to  me.  We  are  now  gaily  enjoying 
the  unalloyed  happiness  of  our  success,  and  I  would 
not  wish  that  subsequently  a  dark  shadow  should  be  cast 
upon  it.  But  about  the  joy  which  the  news  of  freeing 
Kinkel  brought  to  your  environment — about  this  I 
should  like  to  hear  much,  very  much.  I  should  like  to 
know  in  how  far  the  scenes  I  pictured  in  my  imagina- 
tion, with  all  the  well-known  figures  in  them,  lag  behind 
reality. 

With  oppressive  fear  I  write  the  question  again  as 
to  how  you  are  getting  along;  whether  your  existence 
still  drags  along  from  day  to  day,  in  care  and  durance, 
as  when  I  last  saw  you.  If  so — and  I  can  hardly  hope 
it  is  otherwise — keep  nothing  from  me.  I  hope  soon  to 
be  able  to  answer  your  complaints  with  something  more 
than  bare  promises. 

Of  the  details  concerning  the  freeing  of  Kinkel,17 
our  flight,  and  the  incidents  of  our  journey,  I  will  say 
nothing  now,  but  will  entertain  you  with  these  things 

17  A  full  account  of  the  incident  is  given  in  Reminiscences,  i,  chapters 
9  and  10. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     93 

in  detail  as  soon  as  I  shall  have  found  some  leisure  for 
it  on  English  soil. 

Once  more,  be  not  angry  with  me  for  going  to  Berlin 
without  taking  leave,  and  now  going  to  sea  in  the  same 
way.  When  one  has  to  employ  cool  reason  at  every 
step  it  is  necessary  to  constrain  the  heart.  For  today, 
farewell.  You  can  be  easier  about  me  than  I  can  be 
about  you.  Only  on  account  of  the  impending  seasick- 
ness do  you  need  to  pity  me  a  little.  I  have  prepared  as 
best  I  could  for  this  type  of  the  "morning  after"  feel- 
ing and  hope  to  sustain  it  better  than  the  Manteuffel 
ministry  its  German  politics. 

Today  be  content  with  most  heartfelt  greetings  from 
your  faithful  son  and  brother. 

Gottfried  Kinkel  to  Christian  Schurz 

At  Sea,  November,  1850 
When  you  receive  this  letter  your  Carl  and  I  shall 
be  at  sea  and  practically  in  complete  safety.  I  regard 
it  as  my  duty  to  write  first  to  my  wife  and  next  to  you  as 
the  father  of  my  rescuer,  my  truest  friend.  For  on  the 
occasion  when  you  visited  me  at  the  casemate  in  Rastatt, 
mourning  for  your  son,  I  saw  fully  how  attached  you 
were  to  him,  and  hence  I  can  imagine  that  you  and  your 
entire  household,  in  these  months,  must  have  suffered 
many  anxieties  on  my  account,  because  the  staff  of  your 
age  exposed  himself  to  such  great  danger  for  my  behoof. 
Yes,  it  is  true:  Carl  has  manifested  a  loyalty  to  me 
which  I  shall  hardly  ever  be  able  to  repay.  His  spirit, 
persistence,  and  resourcefulness  performed  a  miracle, 
and  I  owe  to  him  in  the  full  sense  the  saving  of  my  life, 
more  endangered  daily  through  hard  usage.    As  to  the 


94  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

way  this  all  came  about  and  how  wonderfully  up  to  the 
present  all  things  conspired  to  the  success  of  the  venture, 
this  I  cannot  and  dare  not  yet  narrate  in  writing.  I 
hope,  however  (and  a  glance  into  the  newspapers  which 
I  had  to  dispense  with  so  long  gives  me  the  certainty  of 
it),  that  Carl  and  I,  after  not  too  long  a  time,  shall  re- 
turn to  the  fatherland,  when  under  altered  conditions 
all  can  be  told  with  more  peace  and  less  danger,  with  a 
pint  of  new  beer. 

As  far  as  I  am  concerned,  Carl  arrived  in  the  nick 
of  time,  for  I  am  still  quite  well  and  my  loyal  ones  in 
Bonn  would  quickly  observe,  could  they  hear  me  talking 
and  joking  with  Carl,  that  I  have  still  not  lost  in  the 
cruel  solitariness  of  my  confinement  my  joyous  Rhenish 
heart.  Tell  this  to  all  those,  in  Bonn  and  the  surround- 
ing country,  who  have  remained  loyal  to  our  beautiful 
old  flag.  Tell  them  I  am  still  the  old  Kinkel  and  expect 
to  remain  so,  until — for  all  the  love,  devotion,  and  loy- 
alty which  so  many  brave  men  poured  out  upon  me 
during  my  suffering — I  can  repay  them  by  placing  all 
my  powers  at  the  service  of  the  fatherland.  For,  if  in 
the  sinister  night  of  my  imprisonment  I  never  for  a 
moment  despaired  of  the  success  of  our  efforts,  I  now 
look  into  the  future  with  especially  sure  hope.  Carl 
also,  by  reason  of  his  character  and  intellect  as  well  as 
his  unheard-of  wonderful  luck,  will  win  a  position  which 
will  enable  you  gladly  to  forget  that  you  have  had  to 
give  him  up  so  long. 

Though  it  will  depend  on  a  number  of  circumstances 
where  I  shall  fix  my  residence,  Carl  and  I  will  remain 
together  for  some  considerable  time,  enjoying  the 
hearty  friendship  struck  up  in  the  course  of  our  com- 
mon political  activities  and  now  rendered  inviolate  by 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  95 

Carl's  loyalty  and  my  gratitude.  It  was  a  rare  mo- 
ment in  my  life  when  everything  had  succeeded  and  he 
first  embraced  me  there  upon  the  free  thoroughfare, 
when  after  a  year  and  a  half  of  torture  leaning  on  his 
shoulder  I  rode  forth  into  the  rescuing  night,  and  be- 
tween dark  lines  of  Brandenburg  pine  treetops  the 
morning  broke  upon  us  happy  ones.  Given  back  to 
freedom,  activity,  my  beloved  wife  and  sprightly  chil- 
dren, escaped  from  boundless  distress !  Only  when  full 
security  in  England  envelopes  me  and  complete  quiet  of 
spirit  returns,  shall  I  be  fully  sensible  of  how  much  I 
have  become  indebted  to  the  loyalty  of  my  party  and 
above  all  to  my  friend.  I  believe  also  that  in  freeing 
me  he  has  given  joy  to  many,  many  other  persons  be- 
sides ;  for  aside  from  the  democrats,  many  hearts,  stirred 
by  the  hard  and  unreasonable  treatment  accorded  me, 
were  inwardly  moved  to  sympathy;  all  of  them  will  be 
grateful  to  Carl  for  what  he  has  done  in  my  behalf. 

I  have  not  been  able  to  repress  this  expression  of  a 
strong  feeling  toward  you  and  your  family,  and  I  beg 
you  tell  my  other  friends  and  my  party  associates  in  my 
name  to  whom  I  ascribe  my  rescue.  Greet  all  for  me 
who  have  maintained  the  true  spirit  in  these  heavy  times 
and  who  still  think  with  pleasure  about  our  fiery  sum- 
mer of  1848.  Keep  well  and  conserve  your  age,  till  the 
glad  day  comes  when  I  can  restore  your  son  to  your 
arms.  I  greet  you  with  high  respect  and  brotherly  af- 
fection.18 

"Another  letter  from  Kinkel  to  Christian  Schurz  is  dated  Paris,  De- 
cember 19,  1850.  In  it  he  asks  permission  to  prepare  Antonie,  youngest 
sister  of  Carl,  for  the  work  of  school  teaching.  The  offer  was  accepted  and 
Antonie  went  with  Mrs.  Kinkel  to  London,  living  in  the  Kinkel  household 
one  year.  She  came  with  the  family  to  America  in  1853;  was  married  to 
Edmund  Jussen  at  Watertown  in  1856;  and  died  at  her  home  in  Mil- 
waukee, April  29,  1923,  at  the  age  of  nearly  eighty-six  years. 


96  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

To  Mrs.  Kinkel 

Edinburgh,  December  1,  1850 
Our  first  business  is  over;  the  time  for  cracking 
jokes  has  come.  Our  cheerfulness  is  as  boundless  as 
our  appetites,  our  appetites  as  boundless  as  our  health. 
Today,  for  seven  hours  uninterruptedly  strolling  about 
we  searched  for  an  eating  place,  because  all  are  closed 
on  Sunday;  and  when  late  at  night  we  picked  one  up, 
it  was  found  that  we  understood  English  enough  to  se- 
lect, out  of  the  entire  list  of  earthly  things,  a  beefsteak, 
a  pudding,  and  a  bottle  of  Xeres,  with  trimmings.  Not 
without  reason  do  we  imagine  that  our  progress  will 
quickly  disclose  the  most  splendid  talents.  If  in  the 
u|3shot  I  shall  be  outstripped  by  Kinkel;  if  he  laughs 
more  and  drinks  no  less  than  I,  you  may  look  upon  it 
as  a  proof  of  extraordinary  good  humor,  since  my  fond- 
ness for  such  professional  studies  is  certainly  not  far 
behind  his. 

Farewell!    Look  forward  to  the  day  of  reunion  as 
cheerfully  and  as  well  as  we. 


To  His  Parents 

Paris,  December  20,  1850 
Our  journeys  are  now  ended.  Now  the  return  to 
London  and  we  shall  have  peace.  Work  begins,  and  let 
us  hope  for  good  results.  In  regard  to  my  sister  Nettie, 
we  have  agreed  on  some  things.  I  am  pleased  that  she 
wants  to  become  a  schoolmistress.  She  has  talent, 
quickness  of  perception,  and  I  hope  industry  enough 
to  carry  on  her  education  with  good  success.  We  are 
agreed  that  she  should  come  to  England  with  Mrs. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     97 

Kinkel  and  remain  in  the  Kinkel  household  and  re- 
ceive instruction  there.  You  will  be  able  to  talk  the 
matter  over  better  with  Mrs.  Kinkel  than  I  can  explain 
it  to  you  in  writing.  Only  this  much  I  assure  you,  that 
this  offer  of  the  Kinkel  family  seems  to  me  a  rare  piece 
of  good  fortune  for  my  sister.  I  hope  to  learn  as  soon 
as  possible  what  you  think  about  it. 

My  arrangements  in  Paris  will  soon  be  made.  I 
shall  live  quietly  and  in  retirement  and  concern  myself 
at  present  with  nothing  but  my  studies.  I  find  here 
the  most  abundant  materials  for  my  work,  and  I  hope 
to  bring  something  to  pass. 

The  reports  about  the  state  of  your  health  are  in- 
deed slight,  but  permit  me  to  hope  that  your  condition 
is  somewhat  improved.  Your  sickness,  dear  mother,  I 
trust  was  nothing  but  the  old  weakness  which  was  again 
easily  overcome.  My  health  is  fine ;  I  have  an  iron  body 
for  hard  exertion.  The  sea  and  land  journey  has  not 
weakened  me  in  the  slightest  degree. 

For  today,  farewell.  Write  me  soon  about  what 
you  have  discussed  with  Mrs.  Kinkel.  I  can  then  give 
my  opinion  more  fully.  Since  I  do  not  wish  my  where- 
abouts in  Paris  to  become  known,  I  should  like  my 
letters  to  come  to  me  in  a  roundabout  way.  Be  so  good 
for  the  present  as  to  give  to  Dr.  Lehmann  without  ad- 
dress everything  that  you  write  to  me.  He  will  then 
undertake  the  further  care  of  it.  Hearty  greetings  to 
the  children  and  all  friends. 

To  His  Parents 

Paris,  January  1,  1851 
At  this  moment  I  have  a  lively  recollection  of  the 
time  when  I  was  still  going  to  school.    I  used  regularly, 


98  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

on  December  31,  to  rule  with  utmost  care  a  sheet  of 
paper  and  then  begin  in  anxious  solemnity  a  New 
Year's  wish  to  you  such  as  the  master  had  set  for  us. 
I  would  write  and  write,  letter  by  letter,  the  perspira- 
tion coming  out  on  my  forehead;  and  at  last,  when  I 
was  quite  at  the  bottom  of  the  page  at  "Obedient  Son," 
a  drop  of  ink  was  sure  to  mar  the  page  and  I  would 
have  to  begin  all  over  again.  And  so  over  and  over, 
my  writing  worse  and  worse,  till  at  last  it  was  very  bad. 
You  will  recall  that  my  New  Year's  letters  never  came 
out  very  well.  That  was  a  labor  and  a  torture,  and  in 
connection  with  the  many  "Welfares"  [Heil]  and 
"Blessings"  [Segen]  I  thought  only  of  the  difficult 
H  and  the  hard  and  unshapely  capital  S\  and  of  how 
superfluous  it  was,  after  all,  to  write  a  long  letter,  since 
we  were  sleeping  in  the  same  room.  And  when  had  it 
ever  come  into  my  mind  to  wish  you  anything  but  "Wel- 
fare" and  "Blessing"?  Yet,  this  had  to  be  solemnly 
written,  on  paper.  At  that  time  I  knew  nothing  of  the 
hatred  of  life,  and  in  my  childish  faith  supposed  that 
love  was  self-evident. 

Since  then  many  years  have  passed  and  for  the  sec- 
ond time  I  greet  the  opening  hour  of  a  new  year  in 
exile.  Last  year  I  was  in  Zurich.  We  had  watched  in 
cheerful  comradeship  the  passing  of  the  last  hours  of 
the  bloody  year  of  misfortune,  and  as  suddenly  the  bells 
pealed  out  from  all  towers  and  the  crowds  rushed  into 
all  streets  congratulating  one  another,  I  walked  arm  in 
arm  with  Techow  across  the  Linth  bridge  and  we  re- 
counted many  and  delightful  things  concerning  the 
hopes  we  were  carrying  over  into  the  new  year.  What 
did  our  wishes  not  make  us  glad  to  believe!  And  of 
all  that,  nothing  has  come  true. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  99 

Today  the  second  half  of  the  century  takes  its  first 
step  into  history.  I  sit,  quietly  working,  by  the  dying 
chimney  fire,  and  nothing  indicates  to  me  the  passing 
seconds.  There  is  no  solemnity  save  the  deep  stillness 
of  night.  Nor  is  my  mood  a  solemn  one,  and  I  would 
not  wish  to  force  my  thoughts  to  roam  over  all  the  pos- 
sibilities which  might  perhaps  sleep  within  the  new 
year's  digit.  Wherefore  excite  the  brain  with  things  not 
yet  tangible  and  which  our  imagination  cannot  hasten? 

But  it  is  not  as  if  my  hopes  were  dead.  I  believe 
more  firmly  than  ever  in  the  great  day  on  which  the 
power  of  the  new  time  will  set  its  mighty  foot  upon  the 
ruins  of  our  degradation;  in  the  day  which  will  recall 
us  to  the  breach  with  irresistible  battle-cry,  when  we 
shall  stand  fighting  till  our  victorious  banner  flutters 
from  the  conquered  fortress.  It  must  be  and  will  be. 
It  is  undying,  this  spirit  which  draws  its  magic  circles 
wider  and  wider  about  this  earth,  which  even  arouses 
nations  seemingly  dead,  causing  them  to  enter  upon  the 
universal  march.  How?  Have  not  those  who  call  them- 
selves our  enemies  poisoned  themselves  with  home- 
brewed medicines  ?  Did  not  their  own  mouths  yesterday 
brand  the  things  which  today  they  themselves  are  doing? 
Do  they  possess  any  other  greatness  than  in  shame  ?  Do 
they  not  publicly  boast  of  their  shame ?  They  have  un- 
manned themselves,  and  this  closes  the  future  to  them. 

But  who  knows  when  the  day  will  come?  Decades, 
in  the  life  of  peoples,  are  like  a  single  day.  The  spirit 
of  world  history  regards  not  the  longing  of  men,  but 
their  weakness  and  their  strength.  Therein  lies  the 
free  will  of  peoples.  Whether  today  or  tomorrow,  no 
matter.  We  are  all  still  young  enough  to  witness  the 
tragically  absurd  fall  of  those  fools  who  must  first  learn, 


100  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

by  the  course  of  history,  that  they  cannot  bind  down  the 
storm  with  ropes. 

Let  us  wait.  We  can  wait  quietly,  for  we  have 
saved  our  honor.  Even  the  conquered  can  no  longer 
be  mocked,  since  the  victors  have  covered  themselves 
with  ridicule.  Who  deserved  ridicule  more,  the  insur- 
gents in  Baden  or  the  Prussians  in  Hesse?  Who  stands 
higher,  more  worthy  of  honor,  Tiedemann  before  the 
court  martial  or  Herr  von  Manteuffel  before  the  Dres- 
den Conference?  It  has  gone  so  far  that  they  count  it 
an  honor  to  have  had  no  power  in  the  general  confusion. 
The  silent  voice  of  the  press  speaks  louder  than  the 
talking  one  could  have  done.  We  have  arrived  at  the 
point  where  silence  can  agitate. 

All  of  this  was  ended  in  the  year  just  gone.  And 
the  tasks  of  the  new?  The  nature  of  things,  the  logic 
of  events  dictate  them.  They  will  be  intelligently  car- 
ried out  even  if  our  intellects  cannot  evaluate  them  in 
advance.  I  am  perfectly  calm  about  it.  The  study  of 
the  past  makes  easy  for  me  the  expectations  of  the  fu- 
ture. The  conception  of  happiness  which  we  are  ac- 
customed to  wish  one  another  has  changed  not  only 
for  me  but  also  for  you. 

What  would  it  amount  to  if  we  were  to  sit  quietly 
together  here  or  there,  and  the  four  walls  limited  our 
horizon,  and  aims  which  are  calculated  for  tomorrow  or 
next  day  limited  our  hopes  ?  Our  family  is  severed  any- 
way and  we  look  upon  that,  I  believe,  without  great  pain. 
Has  not  each  of  us  had  his  own  kind  of  happiness  ?  Is 
there  not  in  store  for  each  of  us  his  kind  of  happiness? 
Certainly  there  may  be  much  to  be  desired ;  but  in  com- 
pensation for  that  which  man  renounces,  a  favoring  for- 
tune proffers  something  else.    Let  us  not  belong  to  that 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  101 

perverse  class  who  can  neither  recognize  nor  enjoy  any 
other  happiness  than  that  which  their  own  narrow  imagi- 
nation alluringly  dangles  before  their  eyes. 

That  we  are  as  we  are  is  all  that  I  personally  can 
wish  for  us.  For  the  rest,  you  will  feel  with  me  that  it 
is  beautiful  to  see  our  fortune  united  with  that  of  suffer- 
ing peoples. 

I  have  long  had  no  news  of  you.  I  have  a  feeling 
things  must  be  going  better  with  you  than  formerly. 
Write  soon. 

Farewell,  and  greet  my  sisters  heartily  for  the  new 
year. 

To  His  Parents 

Paris,,  January  7,  1851 
From  the  letter  of  Mrs.  Kinkel  to  her  husband  I 
infer  that  a  letter  from  you  must  already  have  been  sent 
to  me.  You  can  imagine  how  eagerly  I  have  looked  for 
news  from  you  and  Dr.  Lehmann,  but  so  far  without 
receiving  a  single  line  from  Bonn.  Has  a  letter  been 
lost  perhaps,  through  wrong  address  or  interception  in 
the  mails?  Please  reply  at  once,  for  our  family  affairs 
must  now  be  further  discussed  between  us,  urgently  and 
indeed  promptly. 

I  am  writing  in  haste  and  expect  an  answer  in  equal 
haste.    Hearty  greetings  to  my  sisters. 

To  His  Parents 

Paris,  March  7,  1851 
Your  last  letter  troubled  me  greatly.    Will  it  then 
be  wholly  impossible  to  remain  longer  in  that  house  if 


102         WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

no  other  is  found  ?  As  for  myself,  I  shall  do  what  is  in 
my  power  and  you  may  count  on  this,  that  I  would 
rather  suffer  want  myself  than  let  you  suffer.  But  my 
position  continues  to  be  very  precarious,  my  earnings 
uncertain.  To  promise  something  definite  at  stated 
times  is  impossible  because  I  always  have  to  wait  for 
the  outcome  of  an  undertaking.  I  certainly  hope  in  the 
near  future  to  make  a  beginning  in  literature,  but  a  se- 
cure position  is  not  to  be  thought  of  in  that  connection. 
That  I  shall  make  many  a  fortunate  move  thereby  I 
surely  hope,  but  this  hope  is  all  I  have  yet  in  sight.  As 
to  Kinkel,  his  circumstances  are  in  no  respect  bright. 
The  reports  of  rich  legacies,  etc.  are  one  and  all  legends. 
He  will  have  to  live  by  his  pen,  and  will  have  all  he  can 
do  to  make  a  living.  Then,  too,  his  entire  family  lies 
sick  in  a  city  where  living  is  so  desperately  high.  He  is 
overloaded  with  outside  affairs  and  has  hardly  been  able 
to  think  of  his  income-producing  work. 

What  I  can  promise  by  May  is  between  fifty  and 
sixty  thalers.  If  I  have  more  I  will  give  more,  but  it 
cannot  be  counted  upon.  Is  there  no  one  in  Bonn  who 
will  agree  to  aid  you  until  I  can  earn  more  ?  It  is  self- 
evident  that  more  sources  must  soon  be  open  to  me.  I 
need  very  little,  and  what  I  have  beyond  my  necessities 
belongs  to  you.  Yet  we  must  fight  our  way  through, 
however  it  may  go;  we  may  hope  for  better  times. 

Nettchen  [Antonie]  has  written  me  several  times. 
She  seems  to  like  the  life  in  the  Kinkel  family. 

I  have  not  heard  from  Dr.  Lehmann  for  a  long  time. 
I  expect  a  letter  from  him  or  his  brother  any  day. 

I  have  a  great  deal  of  work  to  do  and  am  in  the 
house  or  the  library  almost  all  day,  often  having  hardly 
an  hour  left  for  my  walk.     Of  the  carnival  I  saw  only 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  103 

the  opera  ball.  But  I  am  in  good  fettle,  able  to  be  a 

little  strenuous.  Farewell  for  today.    Greet  my  sister 

Anna  heartily.  Why  has  she  not  written  me?    Heart- 
felt greetings. 

To  His  Parents 

Paris,  June  2,  1851 
Do  not  be  surprised  when  I  tell  you  that  I  have  just 
now  got  out  of  prison.  I  was  arrested  on  the  street  Sun- 
day evening,  my  papers  attached,  and  my  person  con- 
fined. They  believed  I  was  on  the  point  of  over- 
throwing the  government  of  France.  It  was  found, 
however,  that  the  French  alone  could  accomplish  this 
feat,  and  so  they  let  me  out  again  today.  In  addition, 
they  desire  that  I  betake  myself  to  England  within  eight 
days,  which  anticipates  my  plans.  I  write  this  in  haste 
so  you  may  know  where  you  are  at,  should  you  learn  the 
news  of  my  arrest  from  other  sources.  Later  more  on 
this  subject.    I  shall  perhaps  leave  here  this  week.  .  .  . 

To  His  Parents 

June  17,  1851 
You  must  not  take  it  amiss  that  I  did  not  write  you 
again  after  the  very  short  letter  telling  of  my  arrest  and 
subsequent  release.  You  learned  enough  from  the  news- 
papers to  quiet  your  fears.  In  addition,  I  was  so  over- 
whelmed with  activities  and  business  during  my  last 
days  in  Paris  that  I  had  hardly  a  minute  to  spare.  Yet 
I  have  made  so  many  acquaintances  that  the  way  into 
the  society  here  will  smooth  itself.  Then  things  will  go 
better.    My  arrest  and  expulsion  have  had  little  in  the 


104  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

way  of  unpleasant  results,  excepting  the  thing  itself. 
Moreover,  I  would  perhaps  have  gone  to  England 
earlier  anyway.  The  expulsion  by  the  police  rather  de- 
layed than  expedited  my  departure.  It  would  have  been 
easy  for  me  to  secure  permission  for  a  longer  stay  in 
Paris,  but  I  did  not  care  about  it  and  I  avoided  every- 
thing that  looked  like  a  request. 

Greet  the  family  most  heartily.  How  is  my  beloved 
sister  Anna?  I  hope  soon  to  receive  a  few  lines  from 
her.    Adieu.    Answer  soon  and  as  fully  as  possible. 

To  His  Parents 

1  Henstridge  Villas,  St.  Johns  Wood 
London,  October  25,  1851 

I  promised  you  a  long  letter,  which  comes  herewith. 

First,  a  few  words  about  my  journey.  You  have 
given  yourselves  a  great  deal  of  uneasiness  but  without 
great  cause.  If  you  learn  that  I  am  gone  from  London, 
never  get  foolish  notions  about  my  danger.  I  am  care- 
ful enough  to  undertake  no  great  adventures  unless  the 
reward  of  labor  fully  balances  the  danger.  It  gives  me 
no  such  great  pleasure  to  risk  my  life.  Besides,  luck 
at  times  helps  out  my  precautions,  and  I  always  get 
back  to  a  safe  harbor. 

This  time  I  was  in  Paris  just  at  the  time  of  the 
wholesale  arrest  of  strangers.  I  arrived  Thursday,  re- 
mained over  night,  and  I  do  not  know  what  urged  me 
to  hasten  my  departure  as  much  as  possible.  Two  hours 
after  leaving  Paris  the  arrests  began  there;  thus  I  es- 
caped, luckily.  I  stayed  one  night  in  Strasburg  and 
next  morning  rode  to  Basel;  from  there  to  Zurich. 
Hardly  had  I  arrived  in  Zurich  when  I  learned  that  im- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  105 

mediately  after  my  departure  from  Strasburg  arrests 
began  in  that  place  also.  And  so  I  had  fortunately  es- 
caped the  double  danger.  However,  the  matter  was  not 
so  very  dangerous  after  all.  In  case  of  my  arrest,  they 
would  have  kept  me  in  confinement  a  couple  of  weeks, 
and  then  shipped  me  across  the  channel.  The  whole 
Parisian  plot  has  ended  in  exposing  the  ministry  to 
ridicule,  and  the  poor  devils  who  are  still  in  prison  per- 
haps have  their  own  indiscretion  to  thank,  at  least  in 
part. 

In  Switzerland  I  stayed  a  couple  of  weeks,  made  a 
walking  tour  through  the  mountains,  climbed  around  in 
the  snow,  saw  an  avalanche,  heard  glaciers  thunder, 
slept  one  night  several  thousand  feet  above  the  clouds, 
etc.  I  made  the  trip  in  the  company  of  several  friends. 
.  .  .  From  Switzerland  I  returned  to  Paris  and  re- 
mained twelve  days  without  any  interference.  Nat- 
urally I  was  extremely  circumspect,  but  it  is  after  all 
hard,  in  so  large  a  city,  to  discover  and  seize  quickly  a 
newly  arrived  and  unobtrusive  stranger.  .  .  . 

Several  days  after  my  departure  from  London 
Kinkel  set  out  for  North  America.  The  purpose  of  his 
journey  is  the  promotion  of  the  German  national  loan, 
which  we  have  undertaken  from  London.  Kinkel  is 
now  holding  mass  meetings  in  the  large  American  cities, 
calling  for  subscriptions  to  the  German  loan  and  organ- 
izing the  whole  business  on  that  continent.  His  results 
are  colossal.  I  receive  twice  weekly  a  large  packet  of 
newspapers  from  America,  which  are  full  of  news  about 
the  Kinkel  mass  meetings,  his  speeches,  and  the  enthu- 
siastic manner  in  which  the  people  are  taking  up  the 
German  loan.  Detailed  accounts  have  thus  far  been 
received  from  two  cities,  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore. 


106  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

Kinkel's  reception  was  cordial  beyond  all  measure.  Ban- 
quets, escorts  of  honor,  serenades,  deputations  vied  with 
one  another,  and  the  sums  actually  paid  in  after  the 
meetings  showed  sufficiently  that  this  excitement  is  no 
mere  straw-fire.  In  Philadelphia  the  mayor  (Burgo- 
meister)  was  a  member  of  the  loan  committee,  and  in 
Baltimore  the  mayor  offered  to  organize  and  conduct 
a  mass-meeting  for  both  German-  and  English-speaking 
Americans.  The  business  is  steadily  taking  on  a  more 
and  more  official  character.  .  .  . 

Kossuth  arrived  in  Southampton  a  couple  of  weeks 
ago  and  will  reach  London  on  the  twenty-eighth.  You 
will  have  learned  from  the  newspapers  about  his  recep- 
tion in  Southampton.  Great  preparations  are  being 
made  for  his  arrival  here  in  London.  Several  hundred 
thousand  people  will  be  out.  I  am  on  the  committee  of 
the  German  refugees  who  will  welcome  him.  I  hope 
to  see  him  several  times  and  speak  with  him,  particu- 
larly in  reference  to  our  American  undertaking. 

In  Kinkel's  absence  I  am  living  as  vice-regent  in 
his  house.  My  hands  have  been  very  full  since  my  re- 
turn. There  is  a  tremendous  general  correspondence,  a 
weekly  lithographic  correspondence  for  America,  the 
work  of  the  current  business  connected  with  the  loan, 
and  my  studies.  We  have  two  presses  in  a  state  of  lively 
activity,  printing  the  interim  receipts,  and  for  every 
American  mail  we  have  to  get  several  thousand  copies 
ready. 

My  tour  in  France  gave  me  great  hopes  for  the  de- 
velopment of  things  in  the  year  1852.  The  agitation 
among  the  people  is  exceedingly  active,  and  confidence 
is  matched  by  determination.  Never  has  the  press  given 
so  inadequate  a  picture  of  what  is  going  on  down  among 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  107 

the  people.  The  new  occurrences  in  France  also  show 
abundantly  the  temper  of  the  reaction.  How  these  mat- 
ters may  develop  is  in  detail  most  uncertain;  on  the 
whole,  however,  after  the  observations  made  in  the  de- 
partments as  well  as  in  Paris,  I  consider  a  most  for- 
tunate outcome  of  the  crisis  to  be  not  at  all  doubtful. 
It  will  be  our  problem  to  spread  it  over  the  rest  of 
Europe. 

Write  me  fully  about  your  circumstances.  Adieu. 
I  greet  you  and  my  sister  Anna  most  heartily. 

To  my  party  associates  in  Bonn,  "Salut  et  frater- 
niter 

To  Adolf  Meyer19 

London,  April  19,  1852 
You  expressed  the  wish,  in  your  letter  to  Marga- 
rethe,  that  I  would  acquaint  you  with  my  past  and  with 
my  plans  for  the  future,  since  to  our  profound  regret 
it  is  not  possible  for  you  to  see  us  in  London.  I  would 
have  met  your  wish  in  this  regard  immediately  had  not 
the  conclusion  of  your  letter  to  M.  led  me  to  hope  for 
a  prompt  reply  to  my  own  letter  to  you.  But  now  it 
appears  as  if  we  were  waiting  the  one  on  the  other,  and 
it  is  for  me  to  break  the  silence. 

As  regards  my  past  I  can  be  brief;  for  it  will  in- 
terest you,  as  it  does  me,  less  than  my  future.  From 
earliest  youth  I  have  lived  in  very  modest  circumstances, 
and  while  not  exactly  obliged  to  earn  personally  what 
I  required,  still  I  was  always  forced  to  get  along  with 
what  I  had.     I  decided  early  upon  a  scholarly  career: 

"Carl  Schurz's  future  brother-in-law.  "In  February,  1852,  Carl 
Schurz  affianced  himself  to  Margarethe  Meyer  of  Hamburg."     [A.  S.] 


108  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

finished  the  Gymnasium,  and  beginning  with  the  spring 
of  1847  studied  history  at  the  University  of  Bonn,  in  or- 
der eventually  to  win  a  professorship  at  one  or  other  of 
the  German  higher  schools.  Then  came  the  events  of 
1848,  and  the  mighty  spirit  of  the  time  drove  me  into 
the  tumult  of  the  political  agitation.  In  the  summer  of 
1849  I  found  myself  compromised  in  the  United  Ger- 
many movement  on  the  Rhine;  had  to  leave  my  home, 
was  in  the  Palatinate  and  in  Baden,  and  after  the  un- 
fortunate catastrophe  went  to  Switzerland,  where  I  con- 
tinued till  April,  1850,  the  studies  I  had  interrupted  for 
a  short  time.  Kinkel's  misfortune  called  me  back  to 
Germany  once  more.  His  release  was  achieved.  I 
turned  to  Paris,  where  I  lived  half  a  year,  and  have  now 
been  in  London  since  June,  1851.  That  is  a  concise 
sketch  of  my  life.  As  to  details,  may  that  which  you 
know  of  my  life  serve  as  guarantee  to  you  for  that  which 
you  do  not  know. 

Your  chief  explicit  doubt  is  whether,  after  my  union 
with  Margarethe,  I  shall  be  strong  enough  to  provide 
an  assured  living.  Since  entering  into  the  political 
agitation  I  have  considered  it  my  duty  to  spare  my 
family  all  care  for  my  personal  support.  It  has  never 
proved  very  difficult  to  meet  my  needs,  although  up  to 
now  the  larger  share  of  my  working  energy  has  been 
devoted  not  to  earning  but  to  the  furthering  of  my  edu- 
cation. At  this  moment  I  earn  at  teaching  what  would 
suffice  in  a  pinch  to  cover  the  common  needs  of  two.  I 
should  undoubtedly  be  able,  by  and  by,  to  establish  my- 
self here  in  a  very  advantageous  position.  But  there  are 
reasons  of  overpowering  weight  which  decide  me  to 
shift  my  residence  from  London  to  America. 

I  do  not  expect  to  find  any  mountains  of  gold  in 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  109 

America,  knowing  on  the  contrary  that  only  a  vigorous, 
uninterrupted  activity  will  enable  me  to  succeed  there. 
But  just  this  is  what  I  seek  in  America  and  for  this  I 
hope  to  find  there  a  broader  and  more  fertile  field  than 
I  can  open  to  myself  here.  I  am  accustomed  to  work, 
to  work  hard,  but  I  would  that  the  goal  of  my  effort 
were  something  more  than  mere  bread.  My  nature  can- 
not content  itself  with  the  life  aims  which  are  contained 
within  my  four  walls.  By  and  by  I  might  have  a  good 
living  here  in  England.  But  citizenship  here,  for  the 
alien,  is  merely  formal.  The  stranger  remains  a  stranger 
here.  Under  such  circumstances  I  cannot  feel  at  home. 
What  I  am  looking  for  in  America  is  not  only  personal 
freedom,  but  the  chance  to  gain  full  legal  citizenship. 
If  I  cannot  be  the  citizen  of  a  free  Germany,  then  I 
would  at  least  be  a  citizen  of  free  America. 

Yet  this  is  not  the  only  reason  which  drives  me 
across  to  America.  Another  is  the  following :  My  fam- 
ily (my  parents  are  still  living)  have  acted  in  the  most 
self-sacrificing  manner  in  all  the  changes  of  fortune 
which  have  befallen  me.  And  from  the  day  I  liberated 
Kinkel  they  have  been  exposed  to  almost  uninterrupted 
chicanery  and  annoyances  on  the  part  of  the  Prussian 
government.  This  went  so  far  that  one  evening  soldiers 
of  the  garrison  there  entered  my  parents'  house  and  with 
naked  sword  in  hand  caused  the  most  fearful  destruc- 
tion, and  next  day  were  loudly  praised  by  their  superior 
officer.  All  this  because  of  me.  Violent  and  sudden 
disturbances  in  business  life  followed,  blow  upon  blow. 

You  understand  that  it  is  my  duty  to  make  an  end 
of  these  insufferable  conditions.  I  cannot  permit  the 
vengeance  they  cannot  visit  upon  me  to  be  visited  upon 
my  gray-headed  parents.     Some  of  my  relatives  are 


110  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

in  America,  in  the  state  of  Wisconsin,  in  pleasant  and 
comfortable  circumstances.  Immediately  following  the 
December  occurrences  in  France  I  conceived  the  plan  to 
associate  my  parents  with  those  relatives  and  to  assist 
them  in  establishing  themselves  there.  It  is  desired  on 
both  sides,  and  this  matter  has  become  dear  to  my  heart. 

You  see  from  the  above  that  these  resolves  were  al- 
ready firmly  fixed  before  I  learned  to  know  Margarethe. 
The  reason  that  the  thought  of  a  union  with  her  does 
not  cause  me  to  waver  in  these  plans,  is  as  follows: 
Margarethe's  is  in  every  respect  a  gifted  nature,  which 
however  has  not  yet  found  true  content  in  itself.  I 
know  her,  and  it  is  my  profound  conviction  that  only 
one  thing  can  give  her  complete  physical  and  mental 
health;  namely,  a  stimulating  occupation.  Problems 
have  been  lacking  in  her  life.  Because  she  has  never  felt 
what  it  means  to  provide  her  living  she  has  not  yet 
learned  to  enjoy  it.  Activity,  immediate  aims  in  life 
are  what  she  has  lacked  for  her  happiness,  and  what  I 
shall  provide  for  her.  And  that  we  shall  find  there, 
and  would  not  find  it  in  Europe  under  present  circum- 
stances, and  especially  not  in  England. 

Margarethe  must  not  be  bored,  and  she  will  discover 
that  not  only  pleasure  entertains.  As  far  as  making  a 
living  goes,  for  me,  to  whom  the  most  strenuous  ac- 
tivity is  necessary  to  life,  it  will  not  be  harder  in  America 
than  in  London ;  and  I  do  not  bring  Margarethe's  prop- 
erty into  the  reckoning.  I  do  not  require  a  large  capital 
in  order  to  make  my  living,  but  only  the  opportunity 
and  scope  for  work.    These  I  have  never  lacked. 

This  is  what  I  expect  to  do  first:  I  shall  give  lec- 
tures in  the  larger  cities  of  the  Union  upon  subjects 
which  lie  in  the  field  of  my  scholarly  studies.     That  I 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  111 

shall  succeed  in  this  is  probable  both  from  what  has  been 
written  me  from  America  and  from  the  widely  rami- 
fying acquaintanceships  I  have  there  through  my  po- 
litical relations.  Such  a  tour  will  have  as  another  ob- 
ject to  find  a  location  and  position  which  may  suit  both 
of  us.  According  to  assurances  received,  there  will  be 
no  lack  of  invitations.  In  six  or  eight  months,  perhaps 
sooner,  this  tour  will  be  ended  and  I  shall  then  settle 
down  in  the  most  favorable  place. 

This  is  the  first  element  of  my  plan.    I  trust  I  may 
now  await  your  kind  communications. 

To  His  Parents 

London,  May  19,  1852 
Yesterday  and  today  I  received  letters  both  of  which 
have  very  gloomy  contents.  The  first,  from  Mother 
and  Anna,  expressed  the  suspicion  that  I  had  half  given 
up  the  thought  of  emigrating  to  America  and  living 
there  with  our  family,  and  was  beginning  to  think  of  re- 
maining in  London.  I  do  not  comprehend  this  misun- 
derstanding. I  wrote  that  Margarethe's  brother  did  not 
agree  to  our  immediate  emigration,  but  that  I  expected 
to  arrange  the  matter.  It  does  not  in  the  least  follow 
from  this  that  I  myself  am  prepared  to  give  up  that 
plan.  And,  in  fact,  I  am  not  thinking  of  it.  My  plan 
is  still  the  same  that  it  was  three  months  ago,  and  I  am 
still  just  as  much  convinced  that  I  shall  carry  it  out. 
That  difficulties  should  have  arisen  was  to  be  expected; 
and  it  is  quite  natural  that  I  should  attempt  to  over- 
come these  difficulties  amicably,  and  not  needlessly  bring 
on  a  break  with  the  family  by  violent  steps.  The  plan 
for  me  to  go  first  to  America  rests  upon  what  seems  to 


112  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

me  the  very  sensible  idea  that  I  ought  not  to  let  you 
journey  at  random  into  uncertainty.  I  must  at  least 
know  in  a  certain  measure  where  we  are  to  lay  our  heads, 
and  to  find  that  out  requires  time.  If  a  longer  continu- 
ance in  Europe  is  impossible  for  you,  then  very  well; 
I  will  make  a  provisional  dwelling  place  there  for  half 
a  year  or  as  long  as  may  be  necessary.  Then  we  shall 
establish  a  definite  home,  and  all  will  turn  out  well.  But 
the  complications  here  must  be  overcome  or  circum- 
vented with  wisdom.  For  two  reasons  I  am  not  consid- 
ering settling  down  in  London:  first,  because  in  that 
case  we  could  not  arrange  to  live  together;  second,  be- 
cause I  camiot  endure  permanently  the  kind  of  work 
with  which  I  have  to  make  my  living  here. 

The  present  sorry  state  of  your  affairs  touches  me 
deeply,  and  you  may  be  sure  that  I  will  help  where  I 
can.  Just  now  I  am  unable  to  send  you  more  than  the 
enclosed  bill  of  exchange,  for  I  have  no  more.  My 
money  has  not  yet  all  come  in,  but  what  is  still  to  come 
amounts  only  to  a  couple  of  pounds  sterling.  If  I  can 
in  any  wise  make  it  possible,  I  shall  send  you  something 
more  soon.  I  have  been  earning  now  for  only  a  full 
quarter-year,  and  for  that  time  I  think  I  have  saved 
enough. 

I  can  as  yet  say  nothing  definite  about  my  departure. 
I  shall  hasten  it  as  much  as  possible.  I  am  glad  that  I 
shall  soon  give  up  my  teaching  hours.  They  have  broken 
down  my  health,  but  I  trust  not  too  greatly.  The  cli- 
mate also  is  objectionable.  I  feel  the  most  pressing 
necessity  for  activity  on  a  large  scale. 

Farewell  for  today.  Be  prudent,  and  depend  upon 
me  to  do  everything  that  I  can.    Do  write  me  at  once 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  113 

as  to  whether  the  bill  of  exchange  arrived  properly. 
Adieu. 


To  Frederick  Althaus 

Hampstead.,  July  12, 1852 
The  situation  in  which  I  am  writing  you  is  in  some 
respects  inconvenient.  This  you  will  detect  in  the  un- 
certainty of  my  handwriting.  With  my  young  wife  I 
am  lying  on  the  grass  under  one  of  the  most  glorious 
English  elms  in  a  large  peaceful  meadow  set  with  mag- 
nificent clumps  of  trees.  I  have  been  married  two  days ; 
our  wedding  was  in  the  most  middle-class,  democratic 
style.  We  now  live  in  a  charming  little  cottage  in  rural 
Hampstead,  right  near  London,  in  the  midst  of  glorious 
scenery,  where  we  shall  quietly  pass  the  days  before  our 
departure  for  America.  I  need  not  tell  you  that  I  am 
happy.  The  new  life  lies  before  me,  stirring  and  great 
like  the  ocean,  for  which  I  yearn.  I  hope  to  sail  in  two 
weeks.    That  is  the  external  factor  in  my  situation. 

Has  not  fate  been  kind  to  me  ?  Without  difficulty  I 
have  won  the  fulfillment  of  a  beautiful  wish,20  and  in 
the  near  future  there  beckons  to  me  a  life  of  striving 
activity  in  a  mighty  part  of  the  world,  in  which  dwells 
the  inexhaustible  power  of  development.  I  shall  com- 
bine the  happiness  of  home  with  the  surge  of  the  forum ; 
and  viewpoints  and  avenues  for  learning  and  striving 
are  opening  to  me.  I  am  tired  of  the  futile  doings  of  the 
refugees.  Our  great  hopes  have  come  to  nothing,  or 
they  have  receded  to  an  indefinite  distance.  I  do  not 
want  longer,  with  enforced  inactivity,  to  fix  my  gaze 

20  Apparently  referring  to  his  wish  to  take  his  wife  with  him  to  America 
on  the  first  visit. 


114  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

on  a  point  in  the  future  for  the  attainment  of  which  our 
active  cooperation  is  almost  wholly  inhibited.  I  re- 
quire close,  definite  goals  and  objects,  and  I  am  going 
where  I  can  find  them.  I  want  to  make  the  period  of 
my  exile  fruitful. 

As  to  my  plans  in  detail,  they  are  as  yet  not  definitely 
fixed.  So  far  as  I  can  now  survey  the  possibilities,  I 
shall  first  of  all  give  lectures  upon  recent  history  in  the 
large  cities  as  I  pass  them.  I  shall  take  up  directly  that 
which  has  the  most  burning  interest  this  year,  the  French 
catastrophe.  In  America  they  judge  concerning  it — 
particularly  as  incited  by  Kossuth — with  much  vivacity 
but  with  little  knowledge.  And  I  myself  have  learned 
so  much  by  and  through  this  episode  that,  for  the  first 
time  in  my  life,  I  feel  moved  to  bring  my  knowledge 
before  the  world.  My  principal  theme  is  this:  No 
country  is  so  much  misunderstood  in  its  tendencies  and 
its  destiny  as  France.  No  history  is  so  misinterpreted 
as  the  French.  These  successive  convulsions  of  a  folk 
spirit  striving  for  liberty;  these  utterly  contradictory 
events  which  so  quickly  follow  one  another — now  fiery 
proclamations  of  democratic  principles,  then  shortly 
afterward  a  general  acceptance  of  the  usurpation  of  a 
new  tyrant — all  these  things  in  colorful  variety,  and 
yet  the  inner  life  of  the  people  always  the  same — always 
lack  of  freedom  on  the  part  of  the  people ;  a  passion  for 
government  within  the  democracy;  a  passion  for  indi- 
vidual distinction  within  theoretical  equality ;  in  a  word, 
with  the  most  fantastic  political  device  that  has  ever  ap- 
peared, "La  liberte  et  un  government  fort,"  "Un  gov- 
ernment fort  vis-a-vis  de  la  liberte,"  or,  what  amounts 
to  the  same  thing,  "Un  government  fort  contre  la 
liberte" !    That  is  the  red  thread  which  runs  through  the 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  115 

most  recent  French  history  from  1789  to  1852.  The 
affair  of  December  2  is  the  most  instructive  incident  of 
recent  history.  .  .  . 

To  Frederick  Althaus 

Malvern,  Worcestershire,  July  26  [1852] 
My  letter  was  interrupted  at  this  point  by  an  illness 
which  rendered  me  speechless  for  almost  a  week  and 
kept  me  in  bed  several  days  longer.  My  wife  had  just 
been  ill  for  a  couple  of  days  and  I  had  nursed  her  as 
well  as  I  could,  when  suddenly  an  inflammation  de- 
veloped in  my  gums  which  made  swallowing  difficult 
and  speech  almost  impossible.  A  high  fever  followed, 
which  soon  showed  symptoms  of  scarlet  fever.  So  there 
I,  poor  devil,  lay  a  few  days  before  my  projected  voyage 
to  America.  My  wife's  sister,  Mrs.  Ronge,  suggested 
that  in  the  midst  of  my  fever  I  should  undertake  a  trip 
to  Malvern,  a  water  cure,  and  submit  myself  wholly 
and  with  every  convenience  to  this  method  of  healing. 
I  took  the  advice  and  with  my  wife  made  the  long,  bitter 
journey,  on  which  I  truly  suffered.  Arrived  here  I 
was  pretty  miserable,  but  my  wife  nursed  me  splendidly, 
the  water  cure  applied  its  harsh  remedy,  and  in  a  few 
days  the  fever  was  broken  and  my  mouth  reopened  for 
speech  and  for  food.  My  sickness,  as  is  usual  with  me, 
was  swift  and  severe  in  its  onset,  prostrating  my  whole 
organism  for  a  short  time;  then  just  as  quickly  broken, 
and  a  prompt  convalescence.  I  like  the  water  cure. 
The  operations  are  sensible,  above  all  vigorous,  decisive, 
and  effective.  But  one  must  not  be  too  exclusive  even 
in  this  system  of  treatment.  I  consider  it  nonsense  to 
set  up  as  an  incontrovertible,  absolute  principle  that 


116  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

one  must  never  take  a  drop  of  medicine — as  though  the 
results  hitherto  attained  by  empirical  medicine  were 
now  at  once  to  be  stricken  out  of  history. 

We  are  thinking  of  returning  to  London  tomorrow 
and  hope  to  be  on  the  ocean  in  a  week.  My  illness  has 
made  me  a  little  impatient.  One  appears  to  himself  so 
futile  when  ill,  and  that  is  unendurable.  Every  moment 
lost  now  lies  heavily  on  my  soul.  I  am  actually  in  a 
hurry  to  reach  America,  now  that  I  have  given  up  my 
living  here.  It  is  such  a  floundering  state  of  suspense, 
which  would  be  most  unpleasant  were  it  not  for  my  wife. 
She  is  about  me  like  a  good  angel,  and  everything  goes 
as  well  as  possible.  Women  are  an  indescribable  ele- 
ment in  life.    You  know  that  too. 


To  Frederick  Althaus 

London,  Hampstead,  August  4  [1852] 
We  reached  here  only  yesterday — precisely  the  day 
which  we  had  set  for  our  departure ;  my  condition  sud- 
denly became  worse,  my  wife  also  was  somewhat  unwell, 
and  on  the  advice  of  the  physician  our  departure  was 
deferred  until  yesterday.  Now  we  are  here.  This  let- 
ter to  you  is  the  first  thing  I  have  undertaken.  I  have 
spoken  only  to  a  couple  of  persons,  and  news  comes  to 
me  already  in  full  strata.  Kossuth  is  here  again;  also, 
an  agitator  of  the  German  emigration  has  returned  from 
America;  the  French  are  indulging  new  hopes  of  an 
early  development  of  the  popular  spirit  in  France;  the 
fugitives  are  naturally  in  considerable  motion  again. 
Kossuth  I  have  not  yet  seen.  So  I  do  not  know  what  he 
himself  says  about  his  successes.    He  obtained  consider- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  117 

able  money,  swam  constantly  on  the  tide  of  enthusiasm, 
and  is  said  to  be  convinced  that  the  happenings  in 
Europe  will  very  soon  correspond  to  the  hopes  he  pro- 
claimed as  his  in  America.  The  German  agitator  Gogg, 
of  Baden,  has  organized  a  number  of  associations  in 
America  which  have  combined  and  centralized  into  a 
"German  Revolutionary  Confederation."  Their  pur- 
pose is  to  support  by  every  possible  means  the  move- 
ment on  the  continent  of  Europe,  and  in  the  United 
States  itself  to  throw  the  entire  weight  of  the  German 
population  into  the  scale  in  connection  with  political 
questions,  such  as  elections,  etc.  It  sounds  good,  but 
signifies  little.  First  of  all,  the  great  majority  of  the 
"Revolutionary  Confederation"  consists  of  more  or  less 
new  arrivals  who,  for  the  present,  have  no  political 
rights ;  and  in  the  second  place,  everything  which  is  pri- 
marily in  the  hands  of  actual  political  refugees  (espe- 
cially Germans)  soon  dies.  The  Grays,  the  "old 
settlers,"  soon  withdraw  from  such  enterprises  because 
the  Greens,  the  "newcomers,"  make  too  much  noise 
about  their  European  humbug.  Such  an  institution  can 
hold  together  only  for  a  time,  just  so  long  as  it  remains 
in  a  passive  state.  Its  disruption  begins  the  moment  it 
comes  into  practical  operation. 

Dear  Frederick,  I  am  sending  you  a  letter  which,  so 
to  speak,  is  made  up  of  mere  shreds.  Pardon  me;  I 
could  not  do  better  and  yet  I  had  to  pay  off  my  long 
overdue  debt  to  you  despite  my  shame.  I  hope  to  be 
on  shipboard  in  a  week.  Until  then  my  hands  will  be 
very  full  here,  exclusively  with  business  matters,  which 
are  not  my  specialty,  and  a  multitude  of  calls  upon  po- 
litical and  other  friends,  some  of  whom  are  even  trying 
to  keep  me  here.    As  for  myself,  I  am  saying  farewell 


118  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

to  Europe  with  the  certainty  of  being  back  again  at  the 
right  time.  My  wife,  whom  you  do  not  know,  wants  to 
greet  you  cordially.  I  regret  that  you  two  have  never 
met.  You  are  worthy  of  mutual  friendship.  Farewell. 
With  all  the  old  cordiality. 


To  Gottfried  Kinkel 

Philadelphia,  April  12,  185321 
You  made  me  wait  a  good  long  time  for  your  letter. 
It  was  about  three  or  four  months  after  I  had  last  writ- 
ten you  when  your  reports  arrived,  and  a  few  days  there- 
after your  wife's  letter  surprised  me  all  the  more  pleas- 
antly. Of  your  good  success  in  Manchester  I  have 
learned  through  the  newspapers,  and  what  you  write 
me  about  it  has  distinctly  heightened  my  pleasure.  Your 
position  in  London  seems  now  indeed  to  be  assured, 
whereas  almost  everything  else  has  crumbled  away.  As 
I  hear,  a  rather  general  exodus  hither  of  the  exiles  there 
is  to  take  place  this  spring.  That  is  good;  here  he 
learns  to  work  who  does  not  yet  know  how. 

I  proposed  to  you  that  I  should  put  myself  in  touch 
with  the  loan  committees  in  this  country,  and  as  soon  as 
I  had  received  from  you  any  sort  of  instruction,  to  pass 
it  on  to  this  one  or  that  one.  This  instruction  I  awaited 
in  vain,  and  as  you  answered  absolutely  nothing  at  all 
I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  you  in  London  had  de- 
cided to  operate  on  an  entirely  different  basis,  and  were 
following  new  plans,  and  so  I  held  my  peace.  Finally, 
I  learned  of  the  arrival  of  Willich  in  New  York,  and  the 

21  Carl  Schurz  and  his  wife  arrived  in  New  York  from  London,  Sep- 
tember 17,  1852.  They  lived  at  Philadelphia  till  1855.  For  Schurz's  earliest 
letters  from  America,  see  Speeches,  Correspondence,  and  Political  Papers,  i. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  119 

newspapers  announced  the  plans  which  he  proposed  to 
carry  out.  About  three  weeks  ago,  he  arrived  here  and 
called  upon  me.  I  soon  saw  with  what  illusions  he  had 
come  here,  and  realized  that  he  would  not  allow  himself 
to  be  convinced  either  by  arguments  or  through  his  own 
observations.  His  whole  agitation  is  a  thoroughly  mod- 
erate one.  The  transformation  of  the  loan  committees 
into  little  political  clubs  seems  to  me  purposeless,  as  in 
general  all  showy  undertakings,  all  noise-making,  all 
forcible  digging  up  of  old  stories,  are  entirely  out  of 
place.  You  yourself  must  have  learned  what  the  build- 
ing up  of  a  so-called  moral  force  signifies  here  in 
America,  especially  as  far  as  it  depends  on  the  Germans. 
....  The  Revolutionary  Confederation,  begun  and 
organized  with  such  great  enthusiasm,  has  failed  almost 
simultaneously  with  its  creation,  because  with  the  first 
ebullition  its  enthusiasm  was  spent,  and  it  lacked  ob- 
jectives for  its  activity.  To  that  result,  to  be  sure,  this 
beautiful  annexation  dream  has  contributed.  But  Wil- 
lich  has  expounded  to  me  something  of  the  "great  idea 
of  the  actual  establishment  of  the  German  state  in 
America,  through  the  loan,"  which  is  no  less  fantastic 
than  the  universal  annexation  and  is  exactly  calculated 
to  disappoint  the  practical  American  understanding, 
which  little  by  little  becomes  operative  in  the  German. 
On  all  that  I  expressed  my  opinion  to  Willich. 

For  seven  months  now  I  have  quietly  observed  here, 
said  little,  and  inquired  much;  and  I  believe  I  have  not 
been  superficial  in  forming  my  opinions.  I  believe  as 
follows:  Your  agitation  and  Kossuth's  and  the  Revo- 
lutionary Confederation  have  so  used  up  the  enthusiasm 
for  transatlantic  affairs,  and  the  European  events  since 
1851  have  made  the  Americans  so  distrustful,  that  the 


120  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

people  must  be  given  rest  and  quiet  to  recover  from  their 
chagrin  and  disappointment.  For  that  day  which  shall 
bring  us  great  news  from  Europe,  the  explosive  material 
must  have  been  collected  here  once  more.  We  need  not 
fear  that  everything  will  lapse  again.  The  constant 
embroilments  with  European  powers,  the  Cuba  and 
Honduras  question,  and  a  hundred  other  things  keep 
the  fire  alive  and  force  the  foreign  policy  of  America 
naturally  into  a  new  channel.  .  .  . 

Our  task  for  the  present  seems  to  me  to  be  as  fol- 
lows: We  must  get  at  the  American  politicians,  bring 
before  them  a  true  picture  of  political  life  in  Europe, 
and  center  their  attention  upon  Germany.  They  would 
first  have  to  learn  what  conclusions,  as  to  Germany  it- 
self, they  could  draw  from  the  German  doings  here, 
which  they  despise — etc.  ...  If  the  Americans  have 
hitherto  had  not  much  use  for  the  German  revolution, 
no  one  is  to  blame  for  that  but  the  Germans  here.  .  .  . 
I  have  already  confided  to  you  the  plan  of  forming  a 
secret  association — that  is,  one  that  is  not  public,  but 
also  not  bound  up  with  any  secret  hokus-pokus — which 
shall  comprehend  within  itself  the  intelligent  forces  of 
the  Germans  in  this  country.  It  will  be  a  sort  of  mis- 
sionary society  to  proselyte  American  politicians.  It  is 
in  operation,  works  quietly,  and  has  already  accom- 
plished something.  If  it  is  possible  for  me  to  do  so,  I  am 
going  this  year  for  a  time  to  Washington,  as  a  wholly 
private  individual  who  uses  the  library  there  for  the 
study  of  American  history.  On  this  occasion  we  must 
cast  our  nets  without  officially  indicating  our  inten- 
tion. .  .  . 

This  winter  we  have  lived  very  quietly.  I  have  pre- 
pared a  book  which  will  go  off  to  Germany  at  the  first 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  121 

opportunity.  It  is  not  wholly  the  realization  of  my  old 
plan  for  an  account  of  the  French  Revolution;  I  have 
broadened  the  scope  and  drawn  in  the  most  recent  his- 
tory, and  to  that  end  briefly  summarized  the  details. 
If  I  stay  here  somewhat  longer,  I  shall  begin  a  book  on 
America,  the  plan  of  which  already  lies  pretty  clearly 
before  me.  It  will  be  essentially  different  from  what 
has  heretofore  been  written  about  America.  .  .  . 

I  forgot  to  give  you  my  opinion  in  the  matter  of 
the  loan.  That  it  continues  to  stand  is  a  matter  of 
course.  But  I  think  one  should  merely  let  it  stand 
quietly ;  the  less  noise  made  about  it,  the  safer  it  will  be. 
It  will  yield  no  more  money  until  things  begin  to  happen 
in  Europe.  Then,  however,  it  will  yield  again.  Until 
then,  a  special  agitation  for  the  loan  here  is  a  pretty  poor 
affair.  .  .  . 

Be  so  good  as  to  inform  me  of  your  activities  from 
time  to  time.  I  am  no  less  attached  to  Germany  in 
America  than  I  was  in  Europe.  And  be  not  so  stingy 
with  your  letters. 


To  His  Wife 


22 


Indian apolis,  September  22,  1854 
...  I  will  not  undertake  to  give  you  a  full  account 
of  my  journey,  because  I  hope  that  most  of  what  I 
might  tell,  you  may  have  opportunity  to  see  personally. 
As  soon  as  one  reaches  the  Alleghenies  the  character  of 
the  country  changes.  At  the  point  where  the  Susque- 
hanna flows  out  of  its  mountains  Pennsylvania  ceases 
to  be  a  flourishing,   friendly  garden.     Dense  forests 

22  The  earliest  known   letters   addressed  to  his  wife  were  written  by 
Schurz  from  Washington  in  March,  1854.     See  Speeches,  etc.,  i,  8-14. 


122  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

cover  the  heights  and  whereas  in  eastern  Pennsylvania 
only  occasional  groves  stand  amid  the  cultivated  fields, 
here  one  sees  only  isolated  cleared  spots  looking  out 
from  the  dense  woods,  and  these  even  more  rarely.  The 
mountains  press  close  upon  the  stream,  hardly  leaving 
room  for  a  narrow  highway.  One  begins  to  see  here 
for  the  first  time  the  blockhouse  (log  cabin)  in  all  of 
its  primitive  roughness,  which  gives  one  a  remote  im- 
pression of  the  hardships  and  privations  which  are  in- 
separable from  the  life  of  pioneers.  Unfortunately,  I 
did  not  see  as  much  of  the  Alleghenies  as  I  wished, 
since  we  passed  through  mostly  by  night  and  only  the 
contours  of  the  mountains  could  be  observed  in  the  dark- 
ness. 

Only  the  entrance  into  the  mountains,  where  the 
railway  crosses  the  broad  Susquehanna,  I  enjoyed  in 
most  beautiful  evening  light,  and  I  can  recall  but  very 
f ew  views  which  are  so  magnificent.  We  passed  through 
Pittsburg  about  three  o'clock  at  night  and  I  saw  nothing 
of  it  except  the  yellow,  burned-out  fires  which  were 
lighted  in  the  streets  as  a  defense  against  the  cholera. 
The  impression  was  distinctly  what  one  calls  "gloomy." 
The  rising  sun  lighted  us  over  the  boundary  into  Ohio, 
and  I  would  have  greeted  that  state  with  great  pleasure 
had  I  not  frozen  so  in  the  cutting  morning  air  that  even 
my  thick  winter  overcoat  was  not  warm  enough.  In 
Ohio  the  character  of  the  land  changes  in  the  direction 
of  friendliness;  the  "dark  forest"  has  been  mightily 
cleared,  and  though  far  the  greater  portion  of  the  sur- 
face is  still  overgrown,  the  farmsteads  range  themselves 
thickly  side  by  side,  the  ensemble  presenting  a  picture 
of  rapidly  progressing  well-being.  In  many  places  the 
log  house  still  predominates,  though  even  in  the  forest 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  123 

solitudes  people  are  beginning  to  establish  themselves 
more  pleasantly.  The  German  tongue  is  heard  every- 
where, and  often  on  the  train  we  recognize  our  honest 
fellow  countryman,  even  without  hearing  him  speak, 
by  his  indestructible  cap  and  his  decorous  long  coat-tails. 

A  farm  in  the  first  stage  of  its  development  has 
about  it  something  quite  touching.  The  log  cabin  is 
only  just  big  enough  to  hold  a  fireplace,  a  table,  a  bed, 
and  the  assembled  members  of  the  family.  Stables  there 
are  at  first  none.  A  shelter  covered  with  boards,  or  often 
only  with  limbs  of  trees,  takes  the  place  of  a  barn.  The 
fields  still  have  many  trees  in  them,  but  the  farmer 
has  girdled  these  or  set  fire  to  their  trunks  so  that  they 
stand  leafless  and  dried  up,  awaiting  the  first  good  wind 
storm  which  will  uproot  them.  Cattle  roam  among  the 
trees,  and  children  among  the  cattle.  The  woman  is  in 
the  house  busying  herself  about  the  butter ;  and  the  man, 
somewhere  around  the  edge  of  the  clearing,  is  turning 
the  rich  new  soil  with  his  plowshare.  The  entire  picture 
is  enclosed  within  dense  woods,  and  only  a  trail,  often 
seen  cutting  through  the  forest  for  many  miles,  straight 
as  a  taut  string,  establishes  a  connection  with  the  out- 
side world.  Such  forest  trails  in  Ohio  are  wonderful, 
and  when  I  saw  one  I  wished  nothing  more  than  that 
you  and  I  might  ride  it  from  end  to  end.  The  woods 
become  lighter  and  lighter  as  one  nears  Cincinnati;  at 
last  there  opens  upon  us  the  magnificent  valley  of  the 
Ohio,  showing  a  glimpse  of  the  proud  "Queen  of  the 
West." 

The  Ohio  had  so  little  water  that  at  first  I  saw  only  a 
broad  streak  of  sand  where  its  bed  should  be,  until 
finally  I  discovered  the  stream  itself.  When  the  river 
is  at  regulation  height  it  is  about  as  wide  as  the  Rhine 


124  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

and  its  hilly  banks  are  not  much  less  beautiful.  Cincin- 
nati lies  in  crescent  formation  upon  the  Ohio  and  is 
bounded  north,  west,  and  east  by  high,  steep  bluffs.  The 
aspect  of  the  city  is  friendly,  not  so  monotonous  as 
Philadelphia,  not  so  noisy  as  New  York,  but  of  course 
inferior  to  these  eastern  cities  in  magnificence.  But 
there  is  so  much  building  going  on  in  Cincinnati,  and  the 
new  constructions  are  on  such  a  magnificent  scale  and 
so  splendidly  executed  that  the  "Queen  of  the  West" 
may  soon  proudly  compare  herself  with  the  great  east- 
ern cities.  The  Germans  live  together  in  one  part  of 
the  city — at  least  most  of  them — and  their  streets  are 
easily  recognized  by  the  conspicuous  but  not  very  ad- 
vantageous old-country  customs.  I  stopped  in  Cincin- 
nati only  long  enough  to  gain  a  general  impression  of 
the  city,  and  yesterday  afternoon  journeyed  to  Indian- 
apolis, to  which  place  my  business  called  me.  I  came  in 
during  the  night  and  have  seen  only  what  a  short  walk 
this  morning  enabled  me  to  see.  I  shall  write  you  one  of 
these  days  about  this  city,  which  looks  to  me  very  pretty. 
This  morning  I  hunted  up  Mr.  Bolton,  who  received  me 
most  cordially.  He  took  me  to  see  the  governor  of  the 
state,  F.  Wright,  whom  he  had  told  about  me  earlier  and 
who  in  a  long  conversation  showed  himself  very  obliging 
and  pressed  me  to  call  on  him.  Mrs.  Bolt()n,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  furnishing  a  house,  and  who  on  that  account 
was  absent  this  morning,  I  saw  this  afternoon.23  I  hope 
that  my  Washington  acquaintance  may  serve  me  very 
well  here.    The  governor  declared  he  would  make  every 

23  Sarah  Bolton,  the  poet.  Schurz  had  met  her  in  Washington  in  March 
(Speeches,  i,  13).  Her  husband  was  Nathaniel  Bolton,  who  was  soon  to  be 
appointed  consul  to  Geneva,  Switzerland.  Schurz's  "gas  business"  seems 
to  refer  to  a  plan  for  the  gas-lighting  of  Indianapolis  streets,  and  suggests 
that  he  at  that  time  was  pushing  any  business  venture  which  promised 
financial  success.     He  was  doubtless  agent  for  a  Philadelphia  company. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  125 

effort  to  induce  me  to  remain  here.  I  am  thinking  of 
entering  at  once  upon  the  gas  business ;  the  auspices  are 
good.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Indianapolis,  September  26, 1854 
...  I  now  know  the  city  fairly  well.  Although  it 
has  at  present  only  eighteen  thousand  inhabitants  it 
covers  a  very  extensive  area.  The  great  "Main  Street," 
with  its  stores,  allows  no  doubt  that  Indianapolis  is  a 
state  capital.  It  presents  an  extremely  lively  appear- 
ance, not  like  any  one  of  the  leading  business  streets  of 
Philadelphia  or  New  York ;  rather  it  bears  a  rural  char- 
acter. With  its  confused  mass  of  farm  wagons  and 
equestrians  (also  equestriennes)  it  looks  more  like  a 
permanent  annual  fair.  There  is  much  horseback-rid- 
ing here.  No  farmer  comes  into  the  city  afoot,  and  the 
women  and  girls  mount  their  horses  in  their  everyday 
clothes  just  as  they  are.  Since  there  is  much  breeding 
of  horses  here,  about  half  of  the  riders  are  followed  by 
young  colts.  These  gambol  about  in  the  street  as  if  they 
were  at  home.  Thus  the  beautiful  broad  street  has  an 
animated  appearance  and  you  hardly  realize  that  you 
are  from  seven  to  eight  hundred  miles  west  of  the  At- 
lantic coast.  Private  dwellings,  at  least  the  more  ele- 
gant ones,  now  begin  to  leave  the  innermost  portion  of 
the  city  and  to  move  toward  the  outskirts,  and  charm- 
ing rows  of  nice  cottages  are  seen  toward  the  ends  of 
the  business  streets,  which  run  out  from  the  middle  point 
of  the  city  ten  or  fifteen  minutes'  walk  into  the  forest. 
You  might  say,  indeed,  that  the  outermost  houses  of  the 
city  are  in  the  woods.    The  Germans,  who  number  about 


126  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

two  thousand,  dwell  mainly  together  in  their  own  part 
of  the  city,  as  in  Cincinnati.  The  public  buildings  of 
Indianapolis,  among  them  a  school  for  the  blind,  an  in- 
sane asylum,  and  a  school  for  the  deaf  and  dumb,  con- 
cede nothing  in  external  magnificence  or  in  solidity  of 
construction  to  the  best  eastern  establishments.  The 
railroads,  with  the  exception  of  two  or  three,  are  all 
combined  in  one  general  depot  and  between  twelve  and 
one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  you  can  see,  leaving  the 
Union  Station,  six  trains  at  once  moving  in  different  di- 
rections. So  far  I  have  not  heard  anything  of  acci- 
dents. To  be  sure,  cows  sometimes  get  on  the  tracks, 
but  as  soon  as  the  engineer  sees  them  he  lets  the  locomo- 
tive whistle  loud  and  long ;  whereupon  the  cows  are  gen- 
erally frightened  and  hasten  away.  The  roads  are  well 
built.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  September  30,  1854 
Before  this  letter  comes  you  will  probably  have  com- 
plained bitterly  because  you  have  had  to  wait  several 
days  for  news  of  me;  but  the  blame  lies  more  in  the 
great  distance  I  have  covered  in  the  meantime  than  in 
me.  Do  not  draw  bad  conclusions  concerning  my  wel- 
fare if  my  letters  are  a  little  delayed ;  there  is  really  no 
help  for  it  at  times. 

Today  I  can  tell  you  about  travel  adventures  which 
I  am  glad  you  have  not  had  to  share  with  me.  From  my 
last  letter  you  saw  that  I  was  about  ready  to  leave  In- 
dianapolis. This  I  did  last  Wednesday  about  twelve 
o'clock,  and  should  have  reached  Chicago  at  8 :30  in  the 
evening.    You  see  the  shortest  way  to  St.  Louis,  from 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  127 

which  place  I  go  to  visit  Hecker,  is  at  present  through 
Chicago.  But  the  train  was  so  crowded  and  the  ac- 
commodating of  the  passengers  took  so  much  time  that 
we  were  very  slow  in  getting  started.  The  sun  was  al- 
ready low  in  the  west  when  we  crossed  the  Wabash  and 
saw  on  our  left  the  bloody  battle  field  of  Tippecanoe. 
At  twilight  we  entered  the  "grand  prairie"  which  oc- 
cupies the  northwestern  quarter  of  the  state  of  Indiana. 
The  movement  out  of  the  forest  on  to  the  prairie  is  com- 
parable to  that  out  of  a  stream  into  the  high  sea.  On 
both  sides  of  the  railway  track  the  woods  recede  farther 
and  farther,  just  as  the  stream  opens  out  into  the  bay; 
and  as  you  gaze  ahead  ever  on  the  level,  endless  prairie 
meadows,  your  eyes  find  no  point  of  rest  save  the  sharp, 
straight  streak  which  the  horizon  makes ;  here  and  there 
perhaps  a  straggling  clump  of  trees  or  a  small  farm- 
house, which  stand  forth  like  single  islands  in  the  wave- 
less  grass  sea.  Finally  the  forest  banks  right  and  left 
disappear,  and  wherever  you  turn  your  eyes  they  see 
only  the  unbroken,  inexorable,  dead  plains.  I  believe 
there  can  be  no  prof  ounder  sense  of  abandonment  than 
to  be  alone  upon  a  great  prairie.  The  sea  is  much  more 
alive  than  the  prairie.  There  at  least  the  waves  shift 
grandly  and  the  horizon  changes  with  their  movements ; 
but  even  a  storm  leaves  the  prairie  still.  It  must  be  a 
remarkable  sight  to  witness  from  a  distance  a  train  roll- 
ing over  the  prairie.  Flowers  are  abundant  and  of 
many  colors,  but  when  one  regards  the  prairie  as  a  whole 
its  flowers  are  forgotten.  The  "grand  prairie"  has  a 
rich  soil  and  in  some  localities  is  already  studded  with 
farms;  but  however  much  I  am  compelled  to  love  the 
West,  at  least  what  I  have  seen  of  it,  I  should  not  like 
to  live  upon  a  great  prairie. 


128  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

It  was  nearly  midnight  when  we  reached  Michigan 
City,  and  after  two  o'clock  when  we  arrived  in  Chicago. 
Here  my  misfortunes  began.  I  was  taken  to  a  hotel, 
but  there  was  not  a  room  or  bed  to  be  had.  In  vain  I 
drove  to  a  second  and  a  third ;  everything  full.  By  this 
time  the  omnibus  which  carried  me  had  reached  its  termi- 
nus and  I  had  to  get  out.  The  hour  was  now  past  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning;  yet  dead  tired  as  I  was,  I  had  to 
seek  in  a  strange  city,  and  afoot,  some  place  where  I 
might  lay  my  head.  Fortunately  I  had  left  my  baggage 
at  the  railway  station.  So  I  wandered  forth  at  ran- 
dom, and  when  I  saw  a  bright  jet  of  gas  light,  decided 
that  there  must  be  a  hotel,  which  was  true.  Finally  in 
a  small  public  house  I  found  a  chance  to  sleep  in  the 
same  room  with  another  man.  But  inasmuch  as  my 
prospective  bedfellow  in  his  exterior  was  not  to  my  lik- 
ing, I  had  the  energy,  to  me  now  quite  inconceivable,  to 
decline  the  offer  and  entrust  myself  anew  to  the  night. 
Meantime  it  had  become  very  solitary.  I  wandered 
from  one  street  to  another  but  saw  no  human  being  to 
whom  I  could  direct  a  question.  Still,  the  streets  had 
living  creatures,  and  very  jolly  ones.  Chicago  has 
"wooden  sidewalks"  under  which  live  millions  of  rats. 
These  rats  regard  the  streets  at  night  as  their  domain, 
and  in  my  presence  made  great  use  of  their  freedom. 
Rats  of  all  sizes  and  colors,  old  and  young,  white  and 
gray,  played  charmingly  about  my  feet.  And  when  I 
stepped  on  one  and  it  squeaked,  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  I 
ought  to  beg  pardon.  I  roamed  around  in  this  company 
until  a  tower  clock  struck  half  past  three.  Then,  on  one 
of  the  bridges,  I  sat  down  upon  a  curbstone  to  rest  a  bit. 
The  rats  gathered  around  me  and  I  experienced  some- 
thing like  what  Heine  did  when  he  was  stalled  with  the 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  129 

mail  wagon  in  the  Teutoburg  forest,  surrounded  by 
wolves  who  spoke  to  him.  A  large  rat,  who  seemed  the 
oldest  and  wisest  of  all,  stepped  forward  and  began: 

(Heine's  wolves  could  talk  German,  but  American 
rats  naturally  spoke  only  English. ) 

"What  do  you  want  here,  stranger?"  said  the 
speaker.  "Why  didn't  you  stay  with  your  lovely  wife 
and  child  ?  Why  did  you  come  into  this  distant  country, 
in  the  pursuit  of  wealth  and  earthly  things?  Fool  that 
you  are !  How  sweet  would  be  your  rest  with  your  loved 
ones,  and  now  you  are  sitting  here  on  a  cold  stone,  lone- 
some, and  nobody  cares  for  you!  But  you  cannot  sit 
here  any  longer!  Move  on,  stranger,  this  is  our  time 
and  you  are  in  our  way;  move  on!" 

The  gaze  of  the  speaker  was  so  determined  and  ener- 
getic that  I  considered  it  diplomatic  to  be  polite.  So  I 
answered  in  the  following  words : 

"Mr.  Speaker  and  Fellow  Rats!  Though  I  am  not 
accustomed  to  speaking  to  so  large  and  respectable  an 
audience  in  a  language  foreign  to  my  native  country, 
yet  I  feel  myself  compelled  by  the  reasonable  sentiments 
expressed  by  your  honorable  and  worthy  leader  to  ven- 
ture upon  a  word  or  two.  Mr.  Speaker  and  Fellow 
Rats !  I  am  exceedingly  sorry  to  have  trespassed  upon 
your  nightly  rights  and  privileges  by  the  unfortunate 
fact  of  my  presence.  But,  gentlemen,  you  may  be  sure 
that  I  never  should  have  taken  such  an  indecent  as  well 
as  dangerous  course,  if  not  [sic]  beings  of  my  own  race, 
men  with  hearts  of  stone,  had  kicked  me  away  from  their 
doors  and  turned  me  into  the  deserted  streets.  I  know, 
gentlemen,  that  you  harbor  feelings  of  kindness  in  your 
hearts  and  that  you  are  not  insensible  to  the  sufferings 
of  a  distressed  stranger,  who  in  the  vain  pursuit  of 


130  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

earthly  things,  as  your  worthy  speaker  expressed  him- 
self very  appropriately,  has  improvidently  left  his 
dearest  ones  and  threw  [sic]  himself  into  the  wide  world. 
Mr.  Speaker  and  Fellow  Rats!  Deep  regret  creeps 
over  my  soul  when  I  remember  my  dearest  ones,  and 
every  one  among  you  who  happens  to  be  separated  from 
his  spouse  and  offspring  will  readily  understand  my 
feelings  in  this  respect.  (Several  rats  begin  to  swal- 
low hard. )  Now,  my  friends,  I  see  it  is  not  impossible 
to  kindle  the  holy  fire  of  sympathy  in  the  hearts  of  pure 
children  of  nature  and,  trusting  to  the  world-renowned 
hospitality  of  the  noble  rats  of  Chicago,  I  throw  my- 
self entirely  into  your  arms,  and  as  men  have  forsaken 
me,  I  will  sleep  among  you  as  one  of  your  own!" 

The  rats  broke  out  in  great  enthusiasm  and  gave  me 
three  cheers.  They  then  quickly  named  a  "com- 
mittee of  arrangements,"  and  after  a  short  private  con- 
ference the  speaker  came  to  me  and  said : 

"Sir!  I  am  very  sorry  to  have  addressed  you  in  a 
harsh  and  discourteous  tone,  and  if  any  one  among  us 
has  offended  you  we  are  ready  to  apologize  in  any  terms 
which  you  may  choose  to  impose  upon  us.  Now,  sir,  by 
unanimous  consent  we  have  agreed  to  offer  you  all  the 
honors  of  our  hospitality,  and  I  hope  you  will  feel  quite 
at  home  amongst  us.  There  is  no  rat  in  Chicago  who 
would  not  exert  himself  to  the  utmost  of  his  power  to 
show  himself  worthy  of  your  noble  confidence  in  our 
race.  Now,  sir,  I  take  the  liberty  to  invite  you  to  take 
supper  with  us;  then  I  shall  introduce  you  to  my  lady, 
and  she  will  be  happy  to  accommodate  you  in  one  of  our 
best  rooms.  This  is  the  way  to  my  house;  please,  sir, 
step  in!" 

Thereupon  the  speaker  pointed  out  to  me  a  knothole 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  131 

in  one  of  the  planks  of  the  sidewalk  only  big  enough  to 
enable  me  to  stick  two  fingers  in  it.  I  was  about  to  fall 
into  a  state  of  high  indignation,  when  I  was  awakened 
out  of  my  slumber  by  a  man,  who  told  me  that  I  had 
been  on  the  point  of  falling  off  the  curb,  etc.  I  told 
him  my  story,  and  he  guided  me  to  a  hotel  in  which  I 
found  a  room.  Aside  from  a  small  air-hole  over  the 
door,  this  room  had  no  window.  The  walls  bore  evidence 
of  bloody  bedbug  battles.  One  of  my  predecessors  had 
obviously  attempted  to  kill  the  bedbugs  by  squeezing 
them  with  his  finger  against  the  wall  until  they  burst, 
whereby  he  probably  gained  his  purpose.  I,  however, 
threw  myself  like  a  daredevil  into  the  bed,  hoping  to 
sleep  until  ten  o'clock,  for  already  the  hour  of  four  had 
passed.  But  soon  after  six  I  was  awakened  by  a  vulgar 
rapping  upon  the  door,  and  heard  a  voice  calling  to  me 
that  breakfast  was  ready.  I  would  gladly  have  re- 
nounced my  breakfast,  but  thereafter  I  could  not  go 
back  to  sleep  (particularly  as  I  now  felt  the  bedbugs 
more  strongly  than  I  anticipated) ;  so  I  went  out  to 
visit  my  cousin  Edmund  and  learned  that  a  short  time 
ago  he  had  gone  to  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  on  business, 
and  would  be  away  for  four  weeks.  (Later  I  found 
several  friends  of  the  olden  time — lawyers  and  news- 
paper men — who  received  me  with  extraordinary  friend- 
liness. )  I  will  write  you  about  Chicago  next  time.  This 
young  city  is  one  of  the  most  marvelous  phenomena  of 
America,  or  indeed  of  the  world. 

About  ten  o'clock  at  night  I  got  into  the  Chi- 
cago and  Mississippi  train  and  arrived  here  yesterday 
about  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  I  visited  an  old 
countryman,  a  lawyer  named  Kribben,  who  promptly 
took  me  away  from  the  hotel  and  forced  me  to  stay  in 


132  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

his  home.  I  am  enjoying  as  much  attention  and  hospi- 
tality as  I  can  use.  As  yet  I  have  seen  little  of  St.  Louis, 
employing  my  first  free  time  here  in  writing.  Day 
after  tomorrow  I  shall  go  to  Hecker,  who  has  been  dan- 
gerously ill  but  is  now  quite  well  again.  Perhaps  I  shall 
write  you  again  before  leaving  St.  Louis,  but  cannot  be 
sure  that  they  will  leave  me  time  for  it  here. 

Be  cheerful,  and  laugh  a  bit  at  my  squirmy  little  rat 
story.  I  am  taking  a  lot  of  notes  and  having  many  ex- 
periences which  will  soon  come  in  handy.  I  am  more 
and  more  convinced  that  we  should  be  on  Easy  Street 
here  in  a  couple  of  years.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  October  2,  1854 
I  write  just  before  my  departure  to  see  Hecker.24 
I  had  just  posted  the  previous  letter  when  I  learned  that 
Hecker's  illness  had  returned  upon  him  with  severity 
and  that  they  feared  for  his  life.  Though  it  was  im- 
possible to  obtain  wholly  authentic  news,  I  have  decided 
to  go  to  him  anyhow,  whatever  the  situation  may  be. 
Hecker's  friends  here,  who  are  very  numerous  and 
greatly  worried  about  him,  urge  upon  me  the  employ- 
ment of  every  argument  to  induce  him  to  adopt  a  dif- 
ferent manner  of  life — if,  indeed,  it  be  not  already  too 
late.  His  illness  is  generally  ascribed  to  the  reckless 
over-exertion  with  which  he  works  his  farm,  and  it  is 
believed  he  cannot  survive  long  if  he  continues  in  the 

M  Friederich  Carl  Franz  Hecker  was  born  September  28,  1811;  died 
March  24,  1881.  He  was  prominent  in  the  antislavery  struggle,  was  a 
colonel  in  the  Civil  War,  and  continued  active  in  public  affairs  till  near 
the  end  of  his  life.  Hecker  was  most  prominent  in  the  German  revolution 
of  1848. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  133 

same  way,  even  should  he  withstand  the  present  crisis. 
I  shall  try  my  best  to  prevail  on  him  to  undertake  a 
journey,  or  something  of  that  kind.  They  tell  all  kinds 
of  remarkable  stories  here  about  the  passion  with  which 
he  pursues  his  new  occupation,  as  though  he  were  striv- 
ing to  dampen  through  the  fatigue  of  bodily  labors  the 
fire  which  burns  in  him. 

Day  before  yesterday  I  described  to  you  my  night 
entrance  into  Chicago.  Today  I  shall  say  something 
about  the  impression  the  city  makes  by  daylight.  My 
friends  took  me  around  to  see  its  greatest  wonders. 
After  reaching  the  lake,  along  the  courses  of  the  broad 
business  streets  with  their  high,  magnificent  marble 
structures,  which  in  the  activity  of  trade  hardly  yield 
to  New  York's  Broadway,  and  making  our  way  among 
colossal  warehouses,  we  reached  the  great  station.  This 
is  almost  at  the  water's  edge,  and  from  it  four  or  five 
railway  tracks  built  on  trestles  extend  through  the  water. 
We  stopped  in  front  of  a  small  wooden  building,  con- 
structed of  logs  and  pierced  on  every  side  with  loop- 
holes, which  obviously  could  have  no  relation  to  the  tre- 
mendous life  going  on  all  around  it.  This,  I  was  told, 
was  Fort  Dearborn,  which  up  to  about  twenty  years 
ago  served  the  few  settlers  of  this  place  as  a  protection 
against  the  wild  Indian  hordes.  This  fort,  the  oldest 
building  in  Chicago,  the  most  honored  relic,  is  now  thirty 
years  old.  The  oldest  native  inhabitant  of  Chicago  is  a 
girl  of  twenty-two  years.  She  was  born  when  only  three 
miserable  huts  stood  there.  Now  the  city  has  over 
eighty  thousand  inhabitants  and  an  incalculable  com- 
merce. One  sees  the  place  growing  as  one  walks  its 
streets.  The  building  and  business  activities  are  inde- 
scribable.    That  section  of  the  town  in  which  the  well- 


134  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

to-do  people  live  and  which,  on  account  of  the  gardens 
surrounding  the  houses,  is  called  "Garden  City,"  shows 
an  elegance  in  the  buildings  and  beauty  of  streets 
which  is  not  behind  the  best  I  have  seen.  The  magnifi- 
cence of  the  public  improvements  and  undertakings,  in 
relation  to  the  youthfulness  of  the  city,  surpasses  any- 
thing I  have  known.  The  prices  of  land  in  the  vicinity 
are  absurdly  high  because  the  people  realize  to  what  an 
extent  Chicago  will  spread  out. 

The  journey  over  the  Illinois  prairies  is  rather 
monotonous;  the  many  places  passed  enroute  are  neat 
and  prosperous,  but  otherwise  without  distinction.  From 
Alton  to  St.  Louis  we  were  on  the  Mississippi,  whose 
dark  waters  move  majestically  between  the  eternal  for- 
ests that  cover  its  shores.  Great  herons  glide  on  slow 
wing  over  the  waves,  swooping  down  occasionally  to 
spear  their  victims.  Large  birds  of  prey,  in  swarms, 
cross  and  recross  the  dark  primeval  forests  adjacent, 
strengthening  the  melancholy  impression  which  the  soli- 
tary wildness  makes  upon  the  soul  of  the  wanderer. 
For,  scarcely  has  the  town  of  Alton  vanished  from 
sight,  when  cultivation  ceases  on  both  sides  of  the  river. 
All  is  desolation  until  one  reaches  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  St.  Louis.  Where  the  broad  Missouri  mingles  its 
yellow,  slimy  waters  with  those  of  the  Mississippi,  the 
color  of  the  stream  changes.  At  first  the  water  of  the 
latter  is  clearly  distinguishable  from  that  of  the  former, 
one  side  of  the  stream  being  dark  brown,  the  other  pale 
yellow.  Soon,  however,  the  Missouri  with  its  tremen- 
dous water  mass  overwhelms  the  Mississippi,  and  then 
the  entire  stream  becomes  clay-colored. 

St.  Louis  looks  very  imposing  from  the  waterside. 
The  warehouses  and  hotels  range  themselves  side  by 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  135 

side  on  the  broad  quay  like  palaces.  But  in  the  interior 
the  city  is  dirty,  and  the  streets  of  the  "old"  section  are 
narrow — that  is,  according  to  American  standards;  in 
Germany  they  would  be  considered  very  wide. 

You  see  at  once  indications  that  the  city  was  orig- 
inally laid  out  by  the  French.  Several  streets  are  now 
being  developed  with  great  elegance,  and  accord  with 
the  significant  business  life  and  the  incalculable  re- 
sources of  the  city.  I  found  here  a  multitude  of  old  and 
new  friends,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  I  was  able  to  keep 
myself  clear  of  invitations,  etc. 

To  His  Wife 

October  5, 1854 
Between  the  first  half  of  my  letter  and  this  comes 
my  visit  to  Hecker.  I  reached  him  in  the  morning 
toward  eleven  and  found  him  in  a  pitiable  condition: 
countenance  sunken  and  peaked,  eyes  languid,  voice 
weak,  skin  yellow — parchment-like.  I  was  affrighted  to 
look  upon  him  and  still  more  to  hear  him.  For  four 
weeks  he  had  not  slept  and  was  perpetually  tossing  back 
and  forth  with  restlessness,  though  hardly  master  of  his 
limbs.  His  illness  is  the  so-called  "congestive  fever," 
which  manifests  itself  in  a  sudden  rush  of  blood  to  breast 
and  head,  the  third  recurrence  of  which  is  generally  re- 
garded as  fatal.  In  addition  he  suffers  from  abdominal 
ailments.  I  believe  one  can  arrive  at  the  true  ground  of 
his  illness  by  hearing  him  talk.  His  sanguine-choleric 
temperament  throws  him  from  one  extreme  to  the  other, 
often  in  the  most  contradictory  manner.  His  recollec- 
tions of  the  past  constantly  torture  his  spirit  and  drive 
him  to  combat  them  through  the  hardest  bodily  exer- 


136  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

tions.  He  has  become  exceedingly  nervous  and  perma- 
nently irritable.  The  violent,  thoroughly  foolish  bodily 
exertions,  the  bitter  rashness  with  which  he  exposes  him- 
self to  the  dangerous  effects  of  the  climate,  have  broken 
down  his  resistance,  and  the  present  distressing  solitari- 
ness has  confirmed  him  in  the  darkest  possible  views  of 
life.  When  he  complains,  he  accuses ;  when  he  censures, 
he  damns  outright.  He  feels  old ;  believes  it  is  no  longer 
worth  the  trouble  to  live,  and  often  wishes  for  death 
merely  to  be  at  rest.  He  is  vexed  because  he  craves 
vexation,  and  the  things  he  cannot  censure  give  him  little 
pleasure,  since  there  are  so  many  other  things  to  censure. 
He  looks  at  everything  with  the  eyes  of  his  dejected 
spirit  and  complains  bitterly  about  disillusionments 
where  he  never  needed  to  have  been  deceived.  I  sat  sor- 
rowfully by  his  bed  and  tried,  by  dint  of  the  greatest 
efforts,  to  cheer  him  up.  At  last  we  got  into  the  swing, 
and  as  I  brought  up  matters  about  which  he  could  talk 
with  some  satisfaction  all  went  well.  Finally  both  of  us 
became  lively  and  got  to  laughing.  I  did  my  utmost  and 
we  kept  on  talking  till  late  in  the  evening.  Next  morn- 
ing I  found  him  much  better,  and  he  said  in  greeting 
me,  "Since  four  weeks  ago,  I  have  slept  today  for  the 
first  time,  and  you  are  the  cause  of  that.  You  made  me 
forget  my  fever  period  yesterday." 

He  felt  strong  enough  to  get  up  and  walk  about  the 
house.  A  great  fire  was  kindled  on  the  hearth  and  we 
sat  in  the  large  room.  A  joyful  spirit  was  visible  among 
the  farm-hands  when  he  came  to  the  table  once  more, 
and  things  seemed  in  the  way  of  turning  toward  his  im- 
provement. I  advised  him  to  leave  his  farm  and  seek  the 
benefits  of  a  water  cure.  He  was  agreeable  to  the  sug- 
gestion, but  I  fear  that  as  he  comes  to  feel  better  he 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  137 

will  not  do  it.  He  is  being  treated  wholly  according  to 
the  old  methods  and  takes  unbelievable  quantities  of 
medicine.  I  have  done  all  I  could  to  dissuade  him  from 
it,  but  with  only  apparent  result.  I  had  intended  stay- 
ing a  longer  time  with  him,  but  a  two-days'  visit  drove 
me  forth,  partly  because  I  really  was  deeply  dispirited 
by  what  I  heard  and  saw,  and  could  not  wholly  conceal  it 
longer,  partly  because  your  letter  was  waiting  for  me 
in  Chicago  and  I  suddenly  found  I  could  not  bear  to 
wait  longer.  Therefore  I  gave  up  the  hunting  trip  and 
all  other  Illinois  delights,  attractive  as  they  were  with 
millions  of  passenger  pigeons  flying  over  us.  I  returned 
to  St.  Louis  as  soon  as  possible,  in  order  to  get  off  today 
for  Chicago,  where  I  shall  at  last  gain  some  rumor  con- 
cerning you.  I  feel  that  I  must  get  back  to  you  soon. 
What  is  left  to  be  done  I  shall  complete  as  quickly  as 
possible. 

To  His  Wife 

Watertown,  Wisconsin,  October  9,  1854 
.  .  .  My  last  letter  I  wrote  from  St.  Louis  shortly 
before  my  departure  for  Chicago.  I  rode  through  the 
night,  and  finding  at  Chicago  letters  from  my  Uncle 
Jacob  [Jussen],  who  urged  me  in  a  most  pressing  man- 
ner to  pay  him  a  visit,  I  took  the  night  steamer  which 
brought  me  across  Lake  Michigan  to  Milwaukee.  This 
voyage,  crossing  the  lake  on  an  indescribably  lovely 
moonlight  night,  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  my 
journey,  and  in  this  riotous  enjoyment  of  nature  noth- 
ing was  lacking  save  that  I  should  have  had  you  by  my 
side.  Well,  you  must  sometime  travel  with  me  and  see 
everything  that  I  have  seen.     There  is  so  much  here 


138  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

which  is  grand  and  beautiful  that  it  well  repays  one  for 
the  expenditure  of  a  little  time  and  some  inconvenience. 
I  believe  you  would  quickly  lose  your  dislike  for  the 
West  if  you  could  once  see  it.  I  will  not  say  that  in 
beauty  this  country  surpasses  the  East.  On  the  con- 
trary, the  tremendous  plains  on  both  sides  of  the  Missis- 
sippi are  not  exactly  interesting  in  the  long  run ;  but  an 
infinitely  fresh  breeze  blows  through  this  land.  Wher- 
ever you  direct  your  gaze  you  see  something  great  de- 
veloping. Grandeur  is  the  characteristic  of  all  western 
life.  All  life  looks  at  you  hopefully,  and  the  war  against 
obstacles  opposing  civilization  is  carried  on  in  the  seren- 
est  confidence  of  victory.  I  have  never  seen  so  many 
cheerful  people  as  here.  The  western  American,  how- 
ever great  may  be  his  instinct  for  enterprise  and  acquisi- 
tion, does  not  bear  on  his  countenance  the  stamp  of 
speculative  determination  which  one  meets  so  frequently 
among  the  eastern  Yankees.  The  Westerner  is  sincere, 
talkative,  direct;  he  makes  friends  with  extraordinary 
ease,  wherever  he  may  be.  The  cold  reserve  of  bearing 
which  so  often  seemed  freezing  to  us  in  the  East  is  a 
stranger  to  the  "Western  man."  He  is  resolute  in 
speech  as  he  is  in  act,  and  the  complete  spontaneity  of 
social  intercourse  makes  one  forget  quickly  that  he 
should  not  look  for  a  finely  polished  behavior  among 
these  people.  You  find  an  extraordinarily  large  pro- 
portion of  sensible  men  and  women,  and  in  conversa- 
tion you  can  usually  be  sure  of  discerning  both  an  open 
mind  and  a  sound  heart. 

The  trip  from  Chicago  to  Milwaukee  by  boat  takes 
eight  hours,  and  when  I  awoke  in  my  stateroom  this 
morning  I  found  the  chief  city  of  Wisconsin  before  me. 
The  town  is  quite  pretty,  but  for  some  time  it  has  not 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  139 

been  progressing  very  well.25  The  immigration  into 
Wisconsin  has  been  somewhat  too  forced.  The  state  has 
to  some  extent  overshot  its  future,  and  when  the  for- 
midable competition  of  Chicago  arose  it  could  not  quite 
keep  up.  Still,  things  will  undoubtedly  go  better  as 
soon  as  the  "territories"  west  of  Wisconsin  become 
states,  so  as  to  give  the  trade  of  Milwaukee  a  new 
market. 

Milwaukee  also  suffers  from  the  presence  of  too 
many  Germans.  Wherever  the  German  in  this  coun- 
try has  to  live  off  Germans,  things  go  badly  for  him. 
There  [in  Milwaukee]  you  can  see  in  the  morning,  while 
passing  through  the  street,  the  German  house  father 
standing  in  his  door  in  dressing-gown  and  slippers,  with 
his  long  pipe  in  his  mouth. 

From  Milwaukee  to  Watertown  you  have  seventeen 
miles  of  railway  and  thirty  miles  "stage,"  which  over  the 
splendid  "plank  road"  is  not  at  all  unpleasant.  Wis- 
consin is  a  beautiful  land,  contrasting  very  favorably 
with  the  flat  Illinois  country  by  reason  of  its  wooded 
hills  and  the  multitude  of  its  beautiful  little  lakes.  I 
had  imagined  it  to  be  less  well  settled ;  for  although  one 
finds  the  borders  of  civilization  so  near  at  hand  that  in 
hunting  one  often  encounters  Indians,  yet  the  southern 
half  of  the  state  is  developing  into  a  great,  blooming, 
densely  populated  agricultural  district. 

I  was  received  by  my  Uncle  Jacob  [  Jussen]  and  his 
family  with  the  most  hearty,  even  tearful,  joy.  You 
know  I  am  sort  of  the  pet  of  our  family,  the  object  of 
its  modest  pride ;  and  as  we  met  after  so  long  a  separa- 
tion the  happiness  was  extreme.  My  uncle  is  still  the 
same  noble,  fine  man,  although  he  has  had  to  make  his 

85  Cf.  letter  of  August  15,  1855. 


140  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

way  with  great  effort  and  care  and  sometimes  rather 
poorly.  But  an  inextinguishable  and  indefatigable 
cheerfulness  reigns  in  the  family,  each  lightening  the 
load  of  the  other  as  much  as  possible.  My  aunt  is  a  very 
sensible  and  well  educated  woman  who  understands 
music  and  several  languages  and  has  a  multitude  of 
practical  accomplishments.  My  uncle  now  has  a  busi- 
ness that  goes  well,  and  it  seems  to  me  he  is  beginning 
to  prosper.  No  one  deserves  it  more  than  he.  I  only 
wish  you  could  see  him.  I  am  sure  you  would  love  him. 
I  shall  not  see  my  cousin  Edmund  upon  this  journey, 
for  he  is  just  now  on  business  several  hundred  miles 
farther  west.  .  .  . 

I  am  now  looking  forward  a  great  deal  to  the  re- 
turn journey.  I  shall  have  to  rest  a  couple  of  days,  for 
in  this  last  period  more  than  half  of  my  nights  have 
been  spent  on  trains.  Before  Sunday  I  mean  to  be  in 
Chicago.  If  I  find  there  no  letters  which  call  me  to 
Indianapolis,  I  shall  travel  thence,  day  and  night,  until 
I  reach  you. 

To  Gottfried  Kinkel 

Philadelphia,  January  23,  1855 
I  received  your  letters  yesterday  and  will  reply  at 
once  to  the  points  therein  which  are  of  importance.  The 
passport  which  I  carried  in  Berlin  in  the  year  1850  has 
not  been  in  my  possession  for  a  long  time.  I  burned  it 
shortly  before  my  arrest  in  Paris,  since  it  had  lapsed. 
Besides,  I  do  not  see  how  the  accused  could  be  materially 
aided  by  it.  That  I  bore  a  false  name  in  Berlin  is  a 
fact  established  by  a  sufficient  number  of  witnesses. 
The  point  is  merely  to  show  that  Falkenthal  did  not 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  141 

know  my  real  name  as  well  as  my  assumed  one.  In  that 
connection  my  passport  could  not  serve  as  evidence, 
since  it  would  merely  prove  that  I  bore  a  false  name, 
which  is  already  proved.  It  is  absolutely  impossible 
to  prove  by  positive  evidence  that  F.  did  not  know  my 
real  name.  The  whole  argument  would  merely  come 
down  to  a  calculation  of  probabilities,  in  which  my  pass- 
port would  be  devoid  of  weight.  F.'s  attorney  must 
obviously  put  on  the  opposing  party  the  burden  of  proof 
that  F.  knew  my  name — and  of  this  I  believe  there  is  no 
evidence,  unless  F.  has  got  himself  into  a  pickle  by  some 
cheap,  unfounded  bragging.  I  know  positively  that  he 
did  not  know  my  name.  This  declaration,  according  to 
my  legal  understanding,  is  the  only  thing  by  which  I 
can  help  the  accused.  The  affidavit  I  sent  you,  to  be 
sure,  has  another  object  in  view,  because  I  did  not  know 
exactly  what  the  real  charge  was.  But  the  above-men- 
tioned necessary  declaration  is  nevertheless  quite  clearly 
contained  in  it.  I  believe  the  lawyer  will  be  able  to  use 
it  if  he  does  not  regard  the  entire  document  as  compro- 
mising in  another  respect.  If  the  trial  is  long  enough 
deferred,  he  might  let  me  know  what  I  can  do  for  F. 
I  can  swear  (1)  that  he  did  not  know  my  real  name; 
(2)  that  he  did  not  help  to  influence  the  officials;  (3) 
that  he  was  not  active  in  the  operation  itself  and  had  no 
special  knowledge  of  what  went  on  that  night.  I  cannot, 
however,  state  on  oath  what  he  asserted;  namely,  that 
he  was  not  informed  as  to  my  plans  and  activities.26 

That  they  have  changed  to  "Gissem"  the  name  I 
bore  at  that  time  is  especially  pleasing  to  me.     I  am 

29  Dr.  Falkenthal  was  one  of  the  friends  in  Berlin  who  gave  aid  toward 
the  liberation  of  Kinkel.  Schurz  does  not  speak  of  his  trial  with  the  others 
mentioned  in  Reminiscences. 


142  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

very  anxious  to  have  this  "Gissem"  satisfy  them.  Her- 
bert is  the  actual  head  of  his  family,  an  excellent  and  in 
his  group  quite  indispensable  man.  The  loss  of  his 
freedom  would  greatly  disturb,  perhaps  wholly  disor- 
ganize, the  life  of  the  family.  I  would  wish,  therefore, 
to  do  everything  to  keep  him  clear  of  the  whole  affair. 
On  that  account  I  should  not  be  able,  in  the  statement 
concerning  the  name  and  passport  which  I  bore,  to  go 
into  greater  detail;  I  should  not  like  to  weaken  the 
"Gissem"  idea.  Perhaps  this  little  error  will  stick.  I 
think  there  have  been  sacrifices  enough.  Besides,  ac- 
cording to  the  latest  reports  the  trial  seemed  to  me  to  be 
going  so  well  for  F.  that  he  would  have  to  employ  all  his 
inconsistency  and  indiscretion  in  order  to  alter  the 
chances.  Please  remember,  therefore,  if  you  do  any- 
thing in  the  matter,  to  keep  H.'s  interests  well  in  view.27 


To  His  Wife 

Watertown,  March  4,  1855 
We  finally  reached  our  destination  yesterday  after- 
noon without  railway  accident,  without  being  snowed 
in  on  the  prairie,  without  suffering  hunger  or  thirst,  etc. 
I  wrote  you  last  from  Chicago.  We  took  the  train  there 
at  nine  in  the  morning,  since  the  lake  is  not  yet  open 
for  traffic.  We  reached  Wisconsin  by  a  detour,  and  in 
order  to  get  to  the  railway  which  runs  from  Milwaukee 

37  The  balance  of  this  letter,  save  eleven  lines,  is  translated  in  Speeches, 
etc.,  i,  14-17.  The  omitted  lines  divide  into  two  paragraphs.  The  first  asks 
an  anxious  question  about  Brocklemann,  the  man  who  aided  in  the  Kinkel 
rescue  by  placing  a  vessel  at  their  disposal  in  which  they  sailed  to  Edin- 
burgh. The  other  refers  to  the  German  National  Loan,  which  Schurz  thinks 
should  be  held  for  the  present  in  KinkePs  hands — until  some  hopeful  ob- 
ject presents  itself  for  the  furtherance  of  which  it  could  be  used  effectively. 
The  sum,  he  says,  is  small. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  143 

to  Watertown  we  were  obliged  to  cover  a  stretch  of 
six  miles  by  sleigh.  The  weather  was  warm,  the  snow 
was  thawing,  and  the  sleighing  party  was  most  un- 
pleasant. I  was  very  glad  that  I  had  not  taken  you 
along,  for  the  outing  was  really  somewhat  wearisome, 
particularly  since  in  some  places  the  snow  was  wholly 
melted  away  and  we  had  to  go  on  foot.  About  five 
o'clock  we  arrived  at  a  small  rural  town,  Jonesville, 
where  we  had  to  stay  over  night  because  we  had  got 
there  too  late  for  the  regular  train.  Yesterday  morn- 
ing we  left  there  in  the  finest  weather,  and  are  now  here 
safe  and  sound.  Today  being  Sunday  we  were  able  to 
do  nothing  for  our  purposes  aside  from  amassing  some 
information.  But  the  results  of  these  inquiries  are  very 
satisfactory.  .  .  .  My  Uncle  Jacob  and  two  of  his 
children  were  somewhat  unwell,  but  not  seriously  so. 
Otherwise,  all  well.  Papa  is  in  the  best  of  spirits;  his 
birds  have  promptly  taken  possession  of  their  new  quar- 
ters and  feel  very  much  at  home.  .  .  . 

The  town  has  improved  in  many  respects  since 
my  last  visit.  Much  building  is  going  on,  and  property 
values  are  rising  steadily.  I  believe  that  much  can  be 
done  here  to  our  great  advantage,  but  you  can  be  as- 
sured that  I  shall  spare  no  pains  to  inform  myself  in 
advance  with  the  utmost  accuracy  about  all  the  con- 
ditions. Aside  from  business  relations,  a  good  deal  is 
also  being  done  for  social  entertainment.  A  singing 
society  [Gesangvereiri]  has  been  organized  which  has 
already  given  a  very  successful  concert.  A  lot  of  balls 
were  given  during  the  winter,  and  an  amateur  theatre 
is  organizing.  Of  course  all  this  is  only  a  beginning,  but 
it  is  something.  It  is  a  sign  that  spiritual  needs  are 
strongly  making  themselves  felt.  .  .  . 


144  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

Much  as  I  desire  your  presence  here,  I  am  glad  I  did 
not  take  you  with  me.  Winter  journeys  have  much  that 
is  unpleasant  and  would  be  too  hard  for  one  in  infirm 
health.  .  .  . 

Today  is  the  fifth  day  that  I  have  been  separated 
from  you  and  our  child,  and  my  first  desire  is  to  get  my 
business  settled  in  the  shortest  possible  time  in  order  to 
be  able  to  come  back  to  you.  I  am  glad  that  I  shall  be 
so  fully  engaged  as  to  have  no  time  to  brood  on  my 
homesickness.  But  you,  too,  must  not  worry.  Time 
will  fly,  and  some  regular  occupation,  whatever  it  may 
be,  will  quickly  help  you  over  the  days  of  separation. 


To  His  Wife 

Watertown,  August  8,  185528 
...  In  my  earlier  letters  I  forgot  to  write  you 
about  two  political  items  which  used  to  interest  you 
greatly.  One  is  the  temperance  movement  in  New 
York,  the  other  the  Know-Nothing  movement.  I  had 
been  in  New  York  two  days  before  I  recalled  that  pro- 
hibition was  in  force.  All  lager  beer  saloons  are  open 
and  full  of  guests;  you  find  in  the  hotels,  as  formerly, 
the  tables  covered  with  bottles,  and  the  wine-list  lies 
before  you  just  as  copious  and  unconcerned  as  ever. 
People  drink  just  as  they  used  to,  but  with  the  extra 
pleasure  of  talking  about  the  temperance  law  over  a 
bottle  of  wine.  A  couple  of  tavern-keepers  lately  in- 
dulged in  a  humorous  and  profitable  speculation.  They 
engaged  temperance  preachers  to  speak  in  the  street  in 

28  Between  the  date  of  the  preceding  letter  and  this  one  Schurz  ac- 
companied his  wife  and  child  to  England.  They  sailed  April  21  and  he 
sailed  on  the  return  trip  July  8.  See  Agathe  Schurz's  note,  Erinnerungen, 
iii,  126-127. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  145 

front  of  their  places  of  business.  That  was  done;  of 
course  it  drew  a  great  crowd,  and  the  natural  result 
was  that  the  barrooms  of  the  neighboring  tavern-keepers 
were  filled  to  suffocation  with  thirsty  humanity.  The 
only  effect  of  the  temperance  law  is  this:  that  all  per- 
sons found  drunk  in  the  streets  are  arrested  and  must 
pay  ten  dollars  fine.  If  they  will  not  or  cannot  pay  they 
are  jailed  for  several  days.  This  arrangement  is  not 
bad,  and  it  would  seem  as  if  such  regulations  should 
constitute  the  final  residue  of  the  great  temperance 
movement. 

As  to  the  Know-Nothings,  important  and  perhaps 
decisive  alterations  have  occurred  on  the  inside  of  this 
widespread  party  organization;  and,  moreover,  in  ex- 
actly the  way  I  predicted  more  than  six  months  ago.29 
About  two  and  one-half  months  ago  there  was  a  great 
convention  of  the  Know-Nothing  party  in  Philadelphia, 
to  which  delegates  came  from  all  parts  of  the  Union. 
Very  promptly  the  slavery  question  arose,  and  the 
southern  Know-Nothings,  who  were  in  the  majority, 
secured  the  passage  of  a  declaration  friendly  to  slavery. 
Immediately  all  the  delegates  from  the  North  left  the 
convention  en  masse,  and  with  that  the  Know-Nothing 
party  was  divided  into  two  large  opposing  factions. 
The  next  result  was  that  the  northern  (that  is  the  anti- 
slavery)  Know-Nothings  approached  the  foreigners 
and  the  slavery  question  was  declared  to  be  the 
leading  issue.  Through  this  proceeding  the  edge  is 
taken  off  the  entire  Know-Nothing  movement,  and  you 
begin  to  see  many  of  their  greatest  leaders  modifying 
their  tone  and  saying  that  neither  religion  nor  birth- 
place, but  republican  sentiment,  is  the  true  criterion  by 

29  See  letter  to  Kinkel,  January  23,  1855,  in  Speeches,  etc.,  i,  14-17. 


146  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

which  the  worthiness  of  a  foreigner  to  receive  Ameri- 
can citizenship  can  be  determined.  That  is  the  begin- 
ning of  the  end;  and  it  is  a  question  whether  the  exist- 
ence of  the  Know-Nothing  organization  will  last  until 
the  presidential  election  of  the  year  1856.  Here  and 
there,  no  doubt,  individual  small  sections  of  the  party- 
will  perhaps  come  forth  strongly  once  more,  but  the 
bulk  of  the  army  is  decidedly  in  retreat. 

To  this  extent,  then,  the  political  heavens  are  some- 
what brighter,  and  the  unpleasant  things  which  have 
occurred  may  in  the  end  be  looked  upon  as  an  agreeably 
exciting  change.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Watertown,  August  12, 1855 
...  I  was  out  with  Rothe30  today  to  examine  pieces 
of  land  near  a  town  about  ten  miles  from  here,  and  we 
had  taken  with  us  guns  and  dogs  to  hunt  as  we  went. 
So  we  tramped  about  the  region  the  whole  day  from 
early  morning  on,  breakfasted  at  one  farmhouse,  had  a 
lunch  of  sour  milk  and  bread  at  another,  and  were  some- 
what provoked  at  our  bad  luck  which  put  into  Rothe' s 
bag  only  a  single  prairie  hen  and  a  snipe,  and  a  prairie 
hen  and  two  quails  into  mine.  Finally,  shortly  before 
sunset,  our  luck  changed.  For,  at  the  edge  of  a  wet 
tract,  we  suddenly  found  ourselves  in  the  midst  of  such 
a  multitude  of  prairie  chickens  that  we  could  hardly 
take  time  to  load.  In  half  an  hour  our  hunting  bags 
were  full,  and  when  darkness  settled  we  returned  to 
Watertown.  There  I  found  your  dear  letter.  .  .  . 
Perhaps  I  shall  be  able  to  tell  you  in  my  next  letter 

30  Emil  Rothe.     See  Reminiscences,  ii,  46. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  147 

how  the  business  with  Jackson  stands,  but  in  case  the 
sale  occurs  the  real  work  will  have  just  begun.  I  shall 
then  have  to  survey  the  entire  tract  and  lay  it  out  in 
lots.  ... 

Later 
Last  evening  I  went  with  my  parents  to  a  summer 
refreshment  place  near  the  city,  which  was  opened  last 
Sunday  with  a  great  bowling  contest.  In  such  places 
things  are  conducted  with  much  cheerfulness  and  wholly 
in  the  German  style.  The  arrangement  of  the  garden 
and  all  the  grounds,  and  the  predominance  of  the  Ger- 
man language,  would  almost  make  you  feel  that  you 
were  in  the  fatherland  if  you  did  not  hear  the  most 
varied  German  dialects  and  here  and  there  a  couple  of 
Americans  talking.  At  another  place  near  the  town,  in 
the  woods,  there  is  target  shooting  on  Sunday,  and  when 
the  setting  sun  ends  the  work  of  the  marksman  a  piano 
in  the  hall  invites  the  young  people  to  dance.  Even  the 
American  is  reconciling  himself  little  by  little  to  this 
German  mode  of  celebrating  Sunday,  which  (if  the 
abominable  high-handedness  of  the  priestly  hierarchy 
in  Germany  continues)  will  soon  exist  nowhere  save  in 
western  America. 


To  His  Wife 

Milwaukee,,  August  15,  1855 
.  .  .  The  reason  for  my  journey  to  Milwaukee  is 
principally  that  before  definitely  closing  with  Jackson 
I  want  to  see  once  more  what  opportunities  there  are 
here  for  favorable  investments.  In  addition,  I  shall 
try  to  make  some  acquaintances,  business  and  otherwise. 


148  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

Today  is  Wednesday,  and  I  expect  to  return  to  Water- 
town  before  the  end  of  the  week. 

Last  night,  immediately  after  my  arrival,  according 
to  my  old  custom  I  took  a  solitary  walk  through  the  city, 
particularly  through  those  portions  which  contain  the 
better  dwellings.  No  American  city,  not  even  Cleve- 
land, has  made  upon  me  such  a  pleasing  impression.31 
Most  of  the  houses  still  combine  in  a  highly  delightful 
manner  the  urban  with  the  rural  character.  The  sur- 
rounding gardens  are  mostly  full  of  dense  foliage,  and 
the  almost  universal  and  tastefully  decorated  veranda 
makes  the  whole  very  homelike  and  livable.  Just  as 
darkness  fell  I  came  to  the  height  above  the  lake  where 
stands  the  white  lighthouse  tower  which  can  be  seen 
from  afar.  The  great  Lake  Michigan  with  its  subdued 
roar  announced  itself  from  afar,  and  suddenly  I  stood 
upon  the  steep  declivity  of  the  hill  which  revealed  out- 
spread before  me  the  light  green,  sail-covered  water 
plane.  The  impression  of  the  lake  at  that  point  is  not 
very  different  from  that  of  the  sea,  only  the  colors  are 
not  so  darkly  somber. 

The  wish  to  live  here  arose  strongly  in  me,  particu- 
larly when  I  saw  through  a  lighted  window  into  a  family 
room  and  involuntarily  imagined  you  and  our  child  in 
it.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Watertown,  August  27,  1855 
...  It  was  very  annoying  to  me  that  Mr.  Jackson 
condemned  me  to  another  wait,  for  he  neglected  to  give 
his    relatives    here   the   necessary   power    of    attorney, 

31  Cf.  letter  of  October  9,  1854. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  149 

which  forced  me  to  open  a  correspondence  with  him 
again.  .  .  . 

There  is  much  to  do  now  on  the  farm.  The  grain 
harvest  is  completed;  the  wheat,  barley,  and  oats,  how- 
ever, are  not  yet  threshed,  so  that  I  do  not  know  defi- 
nitely how  much  there  will  be.  But  it  looks  fairly  prom- 
ising. 

To  His  Wife 

Watertown,  September  3,  1855 
.  .  .  The  active  period  has  now  begun  for  me;  that 
is  to  say,  the  business  activity,  for  otherwise  my  life  here 
is  pretty  empty.  Before  I  received  Mr.  Jackson's  last 
reply,  and  thus  before  I  had  to  take  the  definitive  step,  I 
again  last  week  made  a  tour  into  the  country  twenty- 
five  miles  westward  to  Columbus.  I  was  astonished  at 
the  extent  to  which  this  region  is  cultivated  and  with 
what  energy  people  have  developed  the  advantages 
which  the  soil  offers.  Several  miles  west  of  Watertown 
the  woods  cease  to  be  dense  and  the  openings  take  the 
place  of  the  forest.  These  latter  are  great  open  spaces 
set  with  trees,  orchard-like,  the  soil  of  which  is  mostly 
without  any  brush  but  covered  with  lovely  turf.  The 
openings  of  Wisconsin  can  best  be  likened  to  the  open 
planted  sections  which  one  sees  in  the  parks  of  Lon- 
don. Between  the  openings,  which  are  crowned  by 
hills,  spread  out  the  succulent  meadow  lands  often  en- 
livened by  island-like  patches  of  woods,  but  often  also 
like  valleys  of  small  streams  extending  for  miles  be- 
tween the  highlands.  These  elements  of  the  landscape 
give  the  most  peaceful,  pleasant,  prosperous  pictures. 
There  is  here  nothing  of  the  ruggedness  which  attaches 


150  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

to  almost  every  American  beauty  spot.  This  type  of 
region  repeats  itself  in  the  friendliest  variation,  except 
that  the  openings  become  lighter  and  the  meadow  lands 
more  extensive  the  farther  west  one  goes;  until  finally 
at  Columbus  the  far-spread  prairie  land  lies  before  you. 
It  is  astonishing  how  very  rapidly  the  building  up  of  the 
country  proceeds  here;  indeed,  how  rapidly  in  some 
neighborhoods  even  the  log  house  disappears  and  the 
pleasanter  frame  house  or  a  pretty  stone  building  takes 
its  place. 

I  cannot  refrain  from  giving  you  an  incident  which 
is  not  exactly  flattering  to  our  German  fellow  country- 
men. You  cannot  believe  how  greatly  the  house  and  the 
whole  domestic  management  of  the  American  farmer 
surpass  in  cleanliness  and  clever  arrangements  those  of 
the  Germans.  If  you  enter  the  most  insignificant  hut  of 
the  Americans  you  will  at  least  find  the  walls  specklessly 
white,  all  utensils  brightly  scoured,  the  windows  shining, 
furniture  in  order,  no  farm  tools  inside  the  house,  and 
all  female  occupants  arrayed  with  a  certain  degree  of 
taste.  I  have  found  that  if  one  comes  into  an  American 
farmhouse  ever  so  unexpectedly  the  wife  never  finds  it 
necessary  to  absent  herself  a  while  in  order  to  make 
herself  presentable  in  the  eyes  of  a  stranger,  which  is  al- 
most always  the  case  in  the  German  farmhouse — if,  in- 
deed, the  German  woman  even  considers  it  necessary 
to  appear  well.  As  regards  practical  arrangements,  too, 
I  found  that  the  German  farmer  has  a  vast  deal  to 
learn  here.32.  .  . 

32  Of  course  Schurz  had  seen  only  the  better  types  of  American  settlers 
and  he  had  apparently  not  seen  the  superior  types  of  German  settlers. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  151 

To  His  Wife 

Watertown,  September  4,  1855 
This  week  I  had  an  artistic  pleasure  here.  Three  of 
the  artists  of  the  Milwaukee  Music  Society  were  here 
and  gave  an  "operatic  concert,"  a  new  invention  which 
consists  in  this,  that  large  continuous  sections  of  an 
opera  are  performed  in  costume.  The  Milwaukeeans 
this  time  selected  "Norma,"  which  had  already  been 
given  a  number  of  times  in  Milwaukee.  You  can  imag- 
ine that  a  presentation  of  the  production  without 
scenery,  without  orchestra,  with  a  bare  piano  accom- 
paniment upon  a  bare  concert  stage  looked  pretty  bad. 
But  so  far  as  the  musical  performances  themselves  were 
concerned,  they  surpassed  my  expectations,  and  would 
in  part  have  forced  even  an  art  critic  to  give  a  favorable 
judgment.  I  now  understand  very  well  how  they  put 
on  more  ambitious  performances  in  Milwaukee,  with  the 
best  success.  I  do  not  believe  they  can  perform  any  bet- 
ter in  most  of  the  small  capitals  of  Germany.  The  small 
traveling  company  will  perform  their  operatic  concert 
in  most  of  the  larger  cities  of  Wisconsin,  and  it  is  hoped 
that  the  praiseworthy  efforts  of  Milwaukee  will  thus 
secure  a  wider  support.  There  they  are  expending 
much  money;  the  costumes  throughout  are  very 
good,  and  the  director  draws  a  better  salary  than  in 
most  of  the  German  theatres.  I  hear  also  from  Phila- 
delphia that  they  have  developed  the  German  stage 
which  was  begun  there  in  so  small  a  way.  The  dramatic 
society  there  has  rented  a  big  place  on  Chestnut  Street, 
and  the  most  prosperous  and  influential  families  it  is 
said  are  at  the  head.  You  know  they  have  already  built 
a  German  theatre  in  New  York,  which  is  said  to  be 
very  well  equipped.  .  .  . 


152  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

To  His  Wife 

Watertown,  September  16,  1855 
Since  yesterday  the  storm  has  not  ceased  to  roar. 
Old  oaks  have  been  overturned  and  our  garden  has  ex- 
perienced sad  ravages.  One  thunderstorm  followed 
another.  The  roads  were  flooded  a  foot  by  the  rain,  and 
the  heavens  are  still  as  dense  and  leaden  as  yesterday. 
This  moment  a  new  storm  is  gathering,  the  third  or 
fourth  today,  and  it  is  so  cold  withal  that  we  go  dressed 
in  winter  clothing  and  gather  with  chattering  teeth 
around  the  kitchen  stove.  The  railway,  which  should 
have  opened  today,  has  been  injured  by  floods  in  a 
number  of  places.  The  soil  was  carried  away  to  such  an 
extent  from  beneath  the  rails  that  it  will  perhaps  take  a 
week  to  make  the  necessary  repairs.  The  plank  road 
also  is  broken  at  a  number  of  points,  and  we  have  had  no 
mail  at  all  today.  .  .  . 

And  my  hay !  my  hay !  Two  days  more  of  rain  would 
finish  it.  And  I  fear  greatly,  for  we  are  in  the  midst 
of  the  equinoctial  period  which  sets  in  here  usually  be- 
fore the  twentieth  of  September.  How  sorry  I  am  that 
you  cannot  share  with  me  directly  the  cares  of  the 
farmer !  I  already  understand  a  great  deal  about  farm- 
ing. You  will  not  believe  it,  but  when  a  man  attends 
so  much  to  it  he  is  bound  to  learn  something.  .  .  . 


To  His  Wife 

Watertown,  September  25,  1855 
.  .  .  Day  before  yesterday  Jackson  arrived  here  to 
close  the  sale  with  all  due  formality.     I  had  not  done 
anything  of  a  practical  nature  upon  the  farm  up  to 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  153 

this  time  because  1  wanted  to  see  first  whether  every- 
thing was  all  right.  .  .  . 

A  couple  of  wagons  arrived  here  today  with  very 
prosperous-appearing  German  immigrants,  and  the 
railway  brings  us  new  inhabitants  almost  daily.  That 
is  a  source  of  growth  which  will  not  so  soon  be  ex- 
hausted. .  .  . 

There  stands  before  me  on  the  writing-table  a  plate 
of  splendid  grapes  which  one  of  my  neighbors  raised  on 
his  farm — a  noble  fruitage  which  will  indicate  to  you 
that  Wisconsin  is  not  so  far  behind  in  civilization.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Watertown,  October  9,  1855 
Today  and  tomorrow  we  shall  be  moving  out.  Then 
the  threshing  machine  will  come  to  the  farm  and  I  shall 
have  to  sell  the  wheat.  (The  sudden  arrival  of  good 
weather  has  saved  us  from  almost  all  damage. )  Mean- 
time the  surveying  goes  on  and  I  must  work  at  it  for  at 
least  two  hours  per  day  in  order  that  no  square  foot  of 
land  shall  remain  unutilized.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Watertown,  October  15,  1855 
.  .  .  Last  Wednesday  immediately  after  posting 
your  letter  I  rode  out  to  the  farm.  On  the  way,  in  the 
middle  of  the  city,  my  horse  stumbled  and  in  falling 
crushed  my  left  leg.  In  and  of  itself  the  thing  was  of 
no  consequence,  but  it  will  have  the  result,  nevertheless, 
of  rendering  it  impossible  for  me  to  walk  for  several 
days.    I  have  to  make  cold  bandages  constantly  to  keep 


154  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

down  the  swelling,  and  have  to  watch  the  lovely  weather 
through  the  window  from  my  doleful  prison.  I  am 
often  in  the  mood  of  a  wounded  soldier  who  hears  the 
drums  going  outside.  I  could  not  close  an  eye  at  night, 
partly  because  such  contusions  hurt  a  little,  partly  be- 
cause the  cold  bandages  dispel  sleep  until  one  becomes 
used  to  them.  Besides,  I  saw  myself  delayed  in  this 
disagreeable  manner  in  the  completion  of  my  business. 
From  all  of  which  you  can  assume  that  I  have  had  some 
jolly  bad  days.  .  .  . 

.  .  .  There  is  something  remarkable  about  such  a 
place  as  Watertown.  All  the  wealth  here  is  personally 
amassed  and,  as  it  were,  on  the  spot.  There  is  prac- 
tically no  imported  capital  here.  All  residents,  per- 
haps with  two  or  three  exceptions,  came  with  nothing 
and  now  you  see  these  same  people  building  mills,  fac- 
tories, railways,  gas  works,  great  stores,  organizing 
banks,  etc.  And  all  this  has  been  accumulated  and  done 
in  less  than  ten  years.  Everything  was  created  from 
nothing  by  sheer  industry,  initiative,  and  persistence. 
And  you  should  see  the  bustle!  Long  wagon  trains 
loaded  with  wheat  coming  into  the  town  from  all  direc- 
tions are  snatched  up  at  the  entrances  by  buyers  who 
try  to  anticipate  one  another.  Then,  with  pockets  filled, 
the  farmers  distribute  themselves  around  among  the 
stores.  The  streets  are  crowded  with  wagons,  and  the 
sidewalks  with  people.  It  is  a  picturesque,  lively  scene, 
full  of  cheerfulness.  Among  the  rest  you  see  the  newly- 
arrived,  the  green  ones,  with  bashful  countenances,  who 
do  not  yet  understand  what  it  all  means  and  which  way 
they  will  have  to  turn.  The  last  few  weeks  have  brought 
us  a  goodly  number  of  these  pleasing  apparitions.  And 
almost  every  day  I  have  opportunity  to  give  advice  to 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  155 

this  one  or  that  one  who  arrives  here  with  the  strange 
plans  of  the  ignorant. 

To  His  Wife 

October  17,  1855 
I  am  on  my  legs  once  more.  You  cannot  imagine 
how  glad  the  exercise  makes  me.  In  the  last  two  days 
the  injury  improved  so  fast  and  decidedly  that  I  have 
conceived  a  genuine  tenderness  for  the  stricken  knee.  I 
do  not  weary  of  seeing  how  much  I  can  do.  Already 
I  get  along  nicely  by  simply  supporting  myself  a  little 
on  a  chair  back.  It  is  nearly  the  same  case  as  that  time 
in  Berlin  when  I  fell  on  my  haunch  and  had  to  lie  abed 
so  long.  But  that  time  I  suffered  much  more.  The 
pain  was  infinitely  greater  and  my  weakness  lasted 
longer.  This  time  I  got  out  of  it  pretty  smoothly.  And 
everybody  has  helped  to  ease  my  bed  of  pain.  I  held  a 
regular  little  court  in  my  room.  Visitors  were  here  un- 
interruptedly from  early  until  late,  and  if  I  slept  the 
good  sympathizers  were  in  the  adjoining  room.  .  .  . 


To  His  Wife 

Watertown,  October  21,  1855 
Now,  as  I  write,  I  belong  once  more  to  two-legged, 
walking  mankind.  But  you  should  see  how  pitifully  I 
still  have  to  limp — I,  who  was  always  so  proud  of  my 
irreproachable  straight-leggedness !  Still,  in  the  last 
two  days  my  crushed  knee  has  improved  so  greatly  that 
in  a  very  short  time  I  hope  to  have  fully  recovered  from 
the  inconvenient  accident.  .  .  . 


156  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

To  be  thus  sick  with  a  healthy  body!  And  then,  dur- 
ing a  succession  of  nights  I  was  unable  to  sleep,  partly 
because  of  the  pain  and  the  cold  bandages,  and  partly 
because,  accustomed  to  constant  hard  exercise  in  the 
open  air,  I  was  now  condemned  to  continuous  inaction. 
Thank  God,  it  is  over  now,  and  I  begin  to  rejoice  in  life 
as  before!  I  read  through  entire  nights  Heine's  mis- 
cellaneous writings,  his  newest  Misery,  then  a  good  por- 
tion of  Schlosser's  History  of  the  Eighteenth  Century, 
etc.  At  last  I  took  to  sketching  and  drew  up  a  com- 
plete plan  of  our  future  dwelling-house:  ground  plan, 
facade,  side-elevation,  and  all  detail  drawings.33  That 
gave  me  much  pleasure,  and  I  feel  that  an  architect  was 
lost  in  me. 

To  His  Wife 

Watektown,  October  28,  1855 
This,  I  hope,  is  the  last  time  I  shall  write  to  you 
from  here.    It  is  probable  my  next  letter  will  be  mailed 
from  Philadelphia  or  from  New  York.  .  .  . 

My  leg  is  not  yet  wholly  restored ;  there  is  still  much 
weakness  in  the  knee  which  hinders  me  from  walking 
much  and  far.  Also  the  swelling  has  not  entirely  dis- 
appeared. Still  the  improvement  proceeds  pretty  fast 
and  decidedly,  of  itself,  and  in  a  very  short  time  I  shall 
doubtless  be  in  a  position  to  undertake  the  journey  to 
the  East.  .  .  . 

We  are  all  quite  enraptured  by  the  place  on  the 
former  Jackson  farm  where  we  live,  and  everybody  who 
visits  us  envies  us  the  beautiful  site.  How  much  more 
beautiful  it  will  be  when  the  new  gardens  have  been  laid 

33  See  cut,  p.  172. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  157 

out!  Aside  from  a  quantity  of  fruit  trees,  we  found 
here  a  nice  strawberry  bed  which  next  year  will  cover 
almost  half  an  acre.  There  are  also  currants  and  goose- 
berries in  smaller  quantities,  and  Father  will  arrange 
for  raspberries  and  the  like.  There  are  also  multitudes 
of  melons  and  other  good  things. 

To  His  Wife 

October  29  [1855] 
The  sun  has  risen  bright  and  clear,  and  the  view 
spread  out  before  me  presents  so  cheerful  and  sweet  a 
picture  that  I  am  distinctly  encouraged  to  hope  we 
shall  be  very  happy  here.  On  the  left  the  stream,  shin- 
ing out  between  tall  trees;  directly  in  front  of  me,  at  a 
little  distance,  the  town  with  its  friendly  white  houses; 
beyond  and  to  my  right,  wooded  hills  and  a  luscious 
strip  of  green  meadow  land.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Watertown,  November  5,  1855 
I  am  writing  you  once  more  from  here  today  be- 
cause I  am  not  certain  of  being  in  Philadelphia  early 
enough  to  post  my  letter  there.  According  to  my  origi- 
nal plans  I  ought  to  have  been  on  the  way  by  this  time, 
but  a  multitude  of  petty  circumstances  combined  to 
delay  my  departure  for  several  days.  First,  I  still  have 
a  couple  of  contracts  to  close  concerning  the  building 
next  spring,  and  it  was  impossible  to  get  the  men  to- 
gether. Then  the  threshing  machine  did  not  come,  and 
that  delayed  the  sale  of  our  grain.  Further,  the  state 
elections  came  on,  which  occupied  everybody,  and  I  was 


158  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

unable  to  get  my  notary  to  transcribe  certain  mortgages 
and  the  like.  So  things  went,  in  a  descending  scale, 
down  to  the  trifling  circumstance  that,  having  given 
my  tailor  my  winter  coat  to  turn,  this  tailor  ripped  the 
coat  and  then  got  sick  and  could  not  deliver  it  at  the 
appointed  time.  You  see  that  I  am  an  unlucky  wight, 
but  in  four  or  five  days  I  trust  all  these  things  will  be 
overcome  and  I  shall  be  sailing  cheerfully  toward  the 
East.  .  .  . 

I  was  never  quite  at  ease  so  long  as  I  knew  you  to 
be  in  Germany,  and  the  little  incident  you  tell  me  con- 
cerning your  adventure  with  the  Prussian  policeman 
shows  that  my  fears  were  not  groundless.  What  petti- 
ness on  the  part  of  the  government!  Is  that  a  power 
which  feels  itself  strong  and  wants  to  impress  others 
with  its  strength?  Not  even  to  leave  women  in  peace, 
and  to  distress  them  with  things  over  which  five  years 
have  passed !    It  is  hardly  conceivable.  .  .  . 


To  His  Wife 

Philadelphia,  November  19,  1855 
Today  I  write  from  Philadelphia,  and  feel  much 
nearer  you  in  consequence.  .  .  . 

My  head  is  so  full  of  my  affairs  here,  on  which  the 
possibility  of  my  early  return  depends,  that  I  can  think 
of  nothing  else.  I  meditate  this  way  and  that,  about 
what  I  should  do.  .  .  .  The  longing  for  you  and  our 
child  is  often  so  powerful  in  me  that  it  costs  me  an  effort 
of  will  not  to  leave  everything  in  the  lurch. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  159 

To  His  Wife 

November  21  [1855] 
I  had  hoped  so  ardently  soon  to  be  done  with  my 
affairs  here,  that  I  almost  took  my  wish  for  actual 
reality  and  could  think  of  nothing  except  with  which 
one  of  the  next  ships  I  was  to  take  passage.  And  now 
I  see  this  joyous  prospect  darkened  once  more.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

November  24  [1855] 
Between  the  previous  note  and  the  present  lie  two 
days — two  days  in  which  I  have  had  a  hard  struggle 
against  my  longing  for  you.  At  last  I  am  obliged  to 
give  it  up.  Tomorrow  I  shall  settle  with  D.,  then  I 
shall  arrange  my  remaining  business  so  that  my 
shoulders  may  be  light  for  a  time.  I  shall  then  go  to 
New  York  and  take  passage  on  the  Washington  or  the 
Canada.  So,  this  is  the  last  letter  I  shall  write  you  be- 
fore coming.  .  .  . 

I  see  your  joy  when  you  shall  have  reached  the  end 
of  this  letter,  and  it  is  the  loveliest  picture  that  I  hold 
before  my  soul.  I  revel  in  it.  How  we  shall  revel  in 
the  reality!34 

To  Frederick  Althaus 

Montreux,  March  8,  1856 
The  letter  which  you  sent  me  on  my  birthday  and 
for  which  I  heartily  thank  you  has  found  us  in  the 

34  He  arrived  in  London  December  17,  joining  his  wife  and  child  at 
Kinkel's  home.    Early  in  February  they  went  to  Montreux,  Switzerland. 


160  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

enjoyment  of  a  beautiful,  happy  recreation.  Your  let- 
ter was  doubly  good  for  me  because  it  made  clearer  to 
me  the  picture  of  you  which  I  took  with  me  from  Lon- 
don after  all  those  sad  days.  We  wish  so  often  to  have 
you  here.  How  this  marvelously  serene  Nature  would 
benefit  you!  I  hope  it  may  be  arranged  in  the  future. 
I  think  Margarethe  will  have  sent  you  news  of  our  ar- 
rival here.  We  found  that  we  had  been  looked  after 
more  kindly  and  obligingly  here  than  we  dared  to  ex- 
pect. My  brother-in-law,  Henry,  whom  I  have  seen 
here  for  the  first  time,  is  an  excellent  person,  very  well 
trained  in  his  field ;  and  I  may  say  that  we  have  become 
quite  intimate,  little  as  Charlotte  [Voss]  may  have  ex- 
pected that.  Neither  timid  in  his  ideas  nor  narrow  in  his 
conduct,  he  seems  to  me  to  be  quite  a  free-thinking  man, 
who,  though  he  may  be  inclined  to  make  concessions,  is 
also  not  afraid  to  admit  the  consequences.  We  live 
together  very  agreeably,  in  splendid  harmony,  and  with- 
out ever  running  out  of  conversation. 

Up  to  now  we  have  had  wonderful  spring  days, 
always  full  of  sunshine ;  splendid  weather — in  the  morn- 
ing a  pleasant  breeze,  at  noon  and  in  the  afternoon  just 
as  warm.  All  this  has  only  one  disadvantage,  that  one 
finds  too  much  pleasure  in  strolling  around  and  in  row- 
ing on  the  lake,  and  thinks  too  little  about  work.  I 
know  the  country  around  pretty  well;  no  day  passes 
without  a  little  excursion,  sometimes  by  water,  some- 
times by  land.  But  with  all  that,  I  have  sent  to  London 
only  one  article  on  Wisconsin,  and  a  very  hastily  writ- 
ten one  at  that.  I  hope  you  will  find  it  printed  in  the 
course  of  a  few  days.  The  second  one  I  have  started; 
it  will  hardly  be  finished  any  sooner  however.  Some- 
times I  wish  myself  some  days  of  bad  weather — and 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  161 

then  this  wish  will  seem  to  me  a  little  too  rash.  It  has 
pleased  us  very  much  that  August  showed  himself  so 
thorough.  But  I  did  not  expect  it  to  be  otherwise, 
and  firmly  believe  that  the  course  adopted  will  prove  to 
be  the  best.  Ee  so  good  as  to  write  me  everything  about 
how  the  matter  develops. 

The  letter  from  Osw.  gives  me  less  hope  in  regard  to 
the  Westminster  Review,  but  I  shall  write  the  thing  as 
soon  as  I  have  finished  my  articles  on  the  West.  If  the 
composition  then  is  never  published,  it  will  always  have 
been  a  good  study. 

As  to  the  certainty  of  peace,  things  seem  to  look 
somewhat  problematical  again.  The  insertion  of  the 
"Siecle"  article  in  the  Moniteur  looks  almost  like  a 
manifesto,  and  if  it  should  be  true  that  large  Paris 
firms  are  speculating  on  a  fall,  then  those  are  bad  signs. 
We  must  prepare  ourselves  with  stoical  equanimity  for 
whatever  may  come. 

The  victory  of  the  Free- Soil  party  in  the  American 
Congress  is  again  a  little  gleam  of  light  in  present 
politics,  and  since  the  danger  of  war  between  America 
and  England  is  receding  more  and  more  into  the  back- 
ground, one  may  hope  for  better  developments  over 
there. —  Did  you  read  that  Julius  Froebel  has  married 
in  New  York  the  widow  of  the  former  "revolutionary" 
minister  of  Baden,  Mordes,  and  with  her  will  move 
south?  I  thought  it  would  be  interesting  to  all  of  you, 
and  so  am  writing  to  you  about  it. 

Yesterday  we  made  up  a  little  rowing  party  to  the 
Hotel  Byron,  where  you  formerly  lived.  How  glori- 
ous it  is  there,  and  how  much  it  made  us  think  of  you! 
Is  it  not  a  great  shame  that  you  cannot  spend  a  few 
weeks  here  before  the  beginning  of  hot  weather?     My 


162  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

brother-in-law  goes  away  from  here  toward  the  end  of 
this  month,  and  perhaps  we  could  live  in  these  delight- 
ful quarters  happily  together.  Consider  seriously 
what  you  can  do,  and  let  us  hear  from  you.  I  should  be 
happy  to  have  you  here.  Greet  Charlotte  heartily  for 
me.  Margarethe  will  herself  write  to  her.  With  more 
warm  heartiness  than  ever. 

To  Frederick  Althaus 

MonteeuXj  April  12,  1856 
It  is  so  long  since  I  have  heard  from  you  that  I  am 
obliged  to  assume  your  business  is  exhausting  in  its  ef- 
fects upon  you,  but  rarely  puts  you  in  a  mood  to  write. 
I  could  well  understand  it  if  you  were  not  at  present 
especially  communicative.  There  are  things  which  bear 
speaking  of  only  when  in  personal  conversation  the 
impulse  finds  the  right  moment.  I  will  not  assume  that, 
owing  to  the  weight  of  your  bereavement,  you  have 
arrived  at  something  like  indifference  toward  your- 
self.35 Could  I  but  attract  you  hither,  where  it  is  so 
beautiful!  But  what  Charlotte  writes  us  about  your 
designs  dashes  my  hope  of  this  completely.  We  could 
put  you  up  so  nicely  in  our  dwelling,  now  that  my 
brother-in-law  and  his  wife  have  departed.  (We  had 
lovely  days,  were  most  harmonious,  and  separated  very 
reluctantly.)  It  is  impossible  not  to  gain  a  new  joy  of 
life  amid  these  wondrous  natural  surroundings.  One 
revels  here  even  when  not  disposed  to  do  so.  It  is  hard 
to  think  of  other  things  while  out  of  doors,  and  when  one 
does  think  he  can  hardly  be  otherwise  than  sanguine. 

M  Mrs.  Althaus  died  shortly  before  this  time.     [A.  S.] 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  163 

That  is,  I  believe,  what  you  need;  and  why  can  you 
not  be  here? 

I  would  gladly  have  told  you  more  about  my  favor- 
ite plan,  to  take  you  along  across  the  sea,  but  since 
Gregorovius  has  probably  come  to  you  and  you  have 
fixed  your  plans  with  him  I  can  see  it  would  be  useless. 
How  fortunate  it  is  that  precisely  Gregorovius,  with 
whose  friendship  many  beautiful  old  fields  of  thought 
are  associated,  should  be  near  you  day  after  day !  Write 
me  soon  whether  Gregorovius  agrees  with  your  views. 
If  time  allows,  I  should  like  to  be  the  third  link  in  your 
chain. 

We  restless  birds  of  passage  shall  probably  be  here 
till  the  middle  of  May.  Then,  as  everybody  says,  it 
becomes  so  unbearably  hot  here  that  it  is  best  to  get 
away.  We  shall  return  via  Paris  to  England.  Ac- 
cording to  reports  from  America  it  will  be  impossible 
for  me  to  leave  my  affairs  throughout  the  entire  sum- 
mer without  personal  management.  The  chances  are 
so  good  that  I  could  not  be  answerable  for  letting  the 
summer  pass  in  idleness. 

It  seems  to  me  that  Margarethe's  condition,  in  gen- 
eral, has  improved;  at  least  many  of  the  more  disa- 
greeable symptoms  have  disappeared  or  have  greatly 
moderated.  It  is  my  opinion  that  a  pleasant  residence 
in  a  healthful  climate,  her  own  permanent  housekeeping, 
in  which  all  comforts  can  be  looked  after,  a  quiet  country 
life  without  excitement,  supported  by  strict  regularity 
in  diet  and  moderated  treatment,  would  prove  more 
beneficial  to  her  than  this  uncertain  search  after  any- 
thing that  might  be  good  and  the  continued  uncertainty 
of  existence  which  leaves  us  restless  today  over  what 
may  happen  tomorrow.    We  have  discussed  the  matter 


164  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

frequently  and  calmly,  and  are  unable  to  arrive  at  any 
other  conclusion.  We  cannot  longer  resist  the  convic- 
tion that  Margarethe's  illness  cannot  be  cured  by  a 
half-year's  water  cure  or  an  extended  stay  in  a  cura- 
tive climate,  as  Dr.  Gully  first  believed. 

You  see  that  I  have  serious  questions  to  answer,  for 
whose  solution  the  short  time  which  we  still  have  here 
for  consideration  will  hardly,  in  itself,  contribute  very 
much.  I  heartily  wish,  dear  Frederick,  you  might  utilize 
a  moment  set  aside  for  writing,  and  then  be  explicit 
concerning  yourself,  as  to  what  you  think  and  plan  to 
do.  Be  assured  I  shall  not  take  it  amiss  if  you  remain 
silent,  yet  hope  you  will  speak  out  if  you  are  in  the 
mood  for  it. 

With  cordial  greetings  to  Charlotte. 

To  Gottfried  Kinkel 

Montreux,  April  27,  1856 
You  must  forgive  me  for  not  sooner  thanking  you 
for  your  readiness  in  forwarding  my  American  cor- 
respondence. Our  life  here  goes  on  so  quietly  and 
equably  that  there  is  no  external  inducement  to  write, 
and  the  reflections  on  world  events  one  might  make  are 
mostly  of  so  gloomy  a  nature  that  we  might  as  well 
spare  one  another  the  infliction  of  them.  We  have  lived 
here  for  seven  weeks  with  my  younger  brother-in-law 
and  his  wife,  and  have  had  a  delightful  time.  .  .  . 

For  nearly  three  weeks  we  have  been  alone  and 
living  an  idyl.  The  region,  which  you  probably  know, 
is  beautiful  beyond  all  others,  the  climate  precisely 
what  we  wanted;  and  were  it  not  that  the  enjoyment 
of  nature  makes  one  intellectually  a  little  dreamy  and 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  165 

unproductive,  it  would  be  the  most  satisfactory  way 
conceivable  to  spend  time.  At  first  my  wife  was  con- 
tinuously ill;  she  is  now  some  better,  but  the  pain  with 
which  she  is  afflicted  still  gives  us  concern.  .  .  . 

I  saw  d'Ester  yesterday.  He  lives  nine  miles  from 
here  and  called  here  to  visit  me,  having  learned  my  ad- 
dress through  a  mutual  acquaintance.  He  is  quite  as 
of  yore  and  looks  just  as  he  did  five  years  ago.  .  .  . 

I  have  also  received  news  about  Techow,  which,  to  be 
sure,  is  already  a  bit  old.  According  to  it,  Techow  and 
Schiitz  must  have  had  quite  a  hard  time  in  Australia; 
while  Damm,  the  one-time  pastor  from  Baden,  entered 
an  educational  institution  as  teacher  and  after  the  death 
of  the  owner  married  his  widow,  and  is  now  in  prosper- 
ous circumstances. 

So  much  about  your  acquaintances  in  this  region. 
It  is  not  yet  certain  when  we  are  to  return  to  London, 
probably  sometime  during  May.  My  business  in 
America  demands  my  presence  so  imperatively  that  I 
shall  hardly  be  able  to  remain  much  longer.  Still,  noth- 
ing is  settled  positively  about  our  departure  from 
Europe.  I  will  not  deny  that  under  existing  circum- 
stances I  long  to  get  across  again.  The  wish  to  ad- 
vance my  undertakings  there  is  not  the  only  reason. 
Europe  at  this  moment  appears  quite  unpromising. 
There  are,  indeed,  enough  things  which  are  tending 
toward  a  crisis,  and  among  these  the  financial  confusion, 
the  overspeculation  stimulated  by  the  national  loans 
and  the  credits  mobiliers  are  not  the  least  in  importance. 
But  what  kinds  of  crises  will  these  be?  Merely  such  as 
are  socially  impotent. 

During  the  presence  here  of  my  brother-in-law  we 
read  your  volume  of  stories,  and  rejoiced  greatly  in 


166  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

"The  Homeless,"  "The  Honest  Youth,"  "Musical  Or- 
thodoxy," and  "Household  War."  "Margaret"  did  not 
please  me  so  well.  The  beginning  of  the  tale — the  pic- 
ture of  the  father — is  splendid,  but  in  the  love  story  and 
the  whole  development  the  language  seems  not  natural 
enough  and  the  dialogue  too  sustained  to  enable  it  to 
produce  a  harmonious  impression.  You  see  that  in  my 
old  age  I  am  coming  to  study  your  works,  and  in  that 
connection  I  cannot  refrain  from  speaking  of  your  fa- 
mous "The  Homeless"  and  to  compliment  your  wife 
especially  on  "The  Honest  Youth"  and  "Musical  Or- 
thodoxy." That  is  the  general  opinion  among  us  here. 
I  will  not  ask  you  to  write,  for  I  know  how  busy  you  are. 
Do  not  feel  under  any  compulsion  about  it. 

With  heartiest  greetings  to  your  wife  and  the  chil- 
dren from  both  of  us.  .  .  .  My  wife  says  that  what  I 
have  written  about  your  Tales  is  so  arrogant  and  not 
favorable  enough.  Take  it  not  amiss ;  you  know  how  it 
was  meant. 


Arrival  in  MontreuocZQ 

Before  taking  up  the  subject  of  my  return  to  Amer- 
ica I  cannot  withstand  the  impulse  to  speak  of  a  matter 
of  such  a  purely  personal  character  that  my  children 
and  nearest  friends  will  pardon  me  if  I  mention  to  them 
that  the  reader  who  does  not  belong  to  the  circle  of 
friends  may  not  find  it  interesting.  I  am  moved  to 
speak  of  it  because  it  is  so  dear  to  me.  It  is  the  memory 
of  one  of  the  happiest  moments  of  my  life. 

Margarethe,  my  wife,  was  advised  by  her  physician 
to  spend  one  or  two  months  in  Montreux  on  Lake  Le- 

36  Written  for  the  Reminiscences,  but  omitted  from  that  work. 


MARGARETHE  MEYER  SCHURZ 

In    1867 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  167 

man  before  taking  the  sea  voyage  back  to  the  West.  The 
time  was  early  in  February,  1856.  We  traveled  by 
way  of  Paris  and  Dejon  through  France  and  were 
obliged  to  take  a  mail  coach  somewhere  on  the  Swiss 
frontier.  Rooms  had  been  ordered  for  us  at  Montreux 
by  my  brother-in-law  Henry  Meyer,  who  also  for 
reasons  of  health  wanted  to  spend  the  spring  months 
there  with  his  young  wife  Emilie.  He  occupied  one 
floor  in  a  very  simple  house,  called  "Maison-aux-Bains" 
because  a  brook  flowing  back  of  the  house  formed  a 
tiny  waterfall.  Our  rooms  were  in  the  same  house,  we 
being  the  only  occupants,  with  the  Meyers,  aside  from 
the  family  of  the  owner,  who  lived  in  a  high  ground- 
floor  apartment. 

On  a  bright  moonlight  night  about  eleven  o'clock  we 
reached  Montreux,  and  the  postilion  of  the  mail  coach 
was  kind  enough  to  set  us  off,  with  our  baggage,  at  our 
destination,  Maison-aux-Bains.  Since  the  hour  of  our 
arrival  had  been  left  somewhat  indefinite,  my  brother-in- 
law  was  not  momentarily  expecting  us,  for  the  house 
was  still  and  dark.  So  we  stood  all  alone  on  the  street. 
We  had  to  ascend  a  considerable  number  of  stone  steps 
leading  to  a  side  of  the  house,  in  order  to  reach  a  door 
whence  we  could  gain  the  attention  of  the  occupants. 
During  the  last  hours  we  had  now  and  then  caught 
glimpses  of  the  lake  between  the  trees  which  lined  the 
road.  But  as  we  climbed  the  steps  and  sort  of  half- 
turned  to  look  behind  us,  a  scene  presented  itself  which 
was  beyond  all  description.  The  moon  was  the  brightest 
I  had  ever  seen.  The  air  was  mild  and  in  gentle  motion. 
Before  our  gaze  the  lake  spread  out  many  miles  in  ex- 
tent. A  small  boat,  with  sails  like  swallows'  wings, 
glided  lazily  over  the  bright,  shimmering  water  streaks, 


168  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

in  which  the  moon  mirrored  itself.  Over  yonder  on  the 
opposite  shore  of  the  lake  rose  the  dark  mountain  walls 
of  Savoy;  far  to  the  left  gleamed  the  white  peak  of 
Dent  du  Mide;  directly  before  us,  projected  into  the 
lake,  was  the  celebrated  castle  of  Chillon,  its  turrets 
showing,  but  the  nether  walls  wrapped  in  black  shadows. 
We  held  our  breaths  in  our  ecstasy,  and  instantly  agreed 
not  to  knock  at  once  for  admittance  but  to  enjoy  the 
view  a  short  time.  So  we  sat  us  down  on  the  stone  steps, 
my  dear  wife  at  my  side,  the  sleeping  child  on  my  lap. 
There  we  sat  and  sat,  drinking  in  pure  joy  in  full 
draughts.  When,  after  a  time,  the  one  concerned  for 
the  other  would  ask:  "Isn't  it  time?"  the  answer  would 
come  back:  "No,  not  yet;  we  shall  never  see  such 
beauty  again."  Finally,  having  to  confess,  despite  our 
inclinations,  that  we  could  not  sit  there  forever,  we  rose 
and  knocked  on  the  door,  to  be  greeted  in  heartiest  man- 
ner by  our  friends. 

When  I  now  look  back  over  my  long  life,  recalling 
its  happiest  moments,  this  half — or  possibly  whole — 
hour  upon  the  stone  steps  at  Montreux  floats  into  my 
memory  as  one  of  the  very  happiest.  Nor  was  the 
moonlight  hour  upon  the  stone  step  all  of  it.  My 
brother-in-law,  Henry,  was  a  young  man  of  very  lively 
disposition,  of  jovial  temper,  and  many  attractive 
qualities ;  my  sister-in-law,  Emilie,  not  yet  quite  twenty, 
one  of  the  finest  and  noblest  of  women;  my  wife  Mar- 
garethe,  at  the  height  of  her  loveliness,  and  our  child, 
already  beginning  to  say  the  most  wonderful  things, 
the  central  point  of  interest  for  us  all.  We  were  very 
fond  of  one  another,  were  young  and  blessed  with  an 
abounding  love  of  life,  full  of  hope  for  the  future  and 
not  yet  oppressed  with  the  cares  of  the  moment — each 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  169 

one  anxious  to  contribute  to  the  happiness  of  the  other. 
Added  to  all  this  we  had  the  natural  beauties  of  the 
environment  always  before  our  eyes,  were  surrounded 
by  all  the  glories  of  spring  in  this  blessed  corner  of  the 
world  where,  protected  by  sheltering  mountains  from 
all  raw  winds,  the  loveliest  tropical  fruits  of  earth  ripen. 
To  us  it  was  as  if  all  these  gifts  were  ours,  for  Mon- 
treux  was  not  then  the  modern  bathing  resort  it  is  today. 
So  we  rowed,  wandered,  or  sat  together  in  our  com- 
fortable Maison-aux-Bain,  reading  aloud  from  Thack- 
eray, Dickens,  or  Shakespeare;  or  we  discussed  what 
Henry  and  Emilie  would  do  in  Hamburg,  or  what  Mar- 
garethe  and  I  were  going  to  undertake  in  America,  and 
how  we  must  get  together  now  and  then.  Yes,  those 
were  weeks  of  untroubled  pleasure;  pure,  childlike, 
spontaneous  joy  such  as  comes  to  us  on  this  earth  only 
rarely.  At  last  the  hour  of  separation  came.  Tears 
flowed  in  streams,  and  when  we  four  came  together 
again  later — which  occurred  at  times  under  much  al- 
tered circumstances — we  never  failed  to  warm  our 
hearts  with  the  recollections  of  those  heavenly  days  at 
Montreux.  He  who  has  once  enjoyed  such  sunbeams  of 
happiness — he  may  well  thank  his  kind  fortune — and 
I  am  truly  thankful. 


To  Henry  Meyer 

Watertown,  August  6,  185637 
.  .  .  Unfortunately,  to  our  surprise,  we  found  that 
our  house  here  was  not  yet  ready,  so  that  for  the  present 

37  Carl  Schurz,  with  his  wife  and  child,  sailed  on  June  21,  1856.  They 
spent  several  days  after  their  arrival  in  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  and 
then  went  to  Watertown,  Wisconsin,  where  the  new  dwelling  had  mean- 
time been  erected.     [A.  S.] 


170  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

we  have  had  to  quarter  ourselves  in  the  small  old  house. 
This  involves  many  an  inconvenience,  but  we  shall  soon 
be  past  this  bad  time  and  then  we  shall  enjoy  the  greater 
comfort  with  double  pleasure. 

I  found  Watertown  changed  in  a  number  of  par- 
ticulars. Business  was  very  quiet  in  the  spring,  due 
principally  to  the  sudden  drop  in  the  price  of  grain  after 
the  peace.  With  the  coming  of  summer  everything  be- 
came more  active  again,  and  the  building  of  new  houses 
and  business  places  began  in  such  an  extensive  way  that 
one  needed  to  make  his  arrangements  early  in  order  to 
secure  workmen.  In  addition,  the  Common  Council 
passed  an  ordinance  that  ail  streets  must  be  graded  and 
all  cross-walks  built  of  brick  or  stone.  This  required 
the  work  of  all  hands.  On  top  of  this  not  less  than  three 
railway  lines  were  begun :  one  from  here  to  Madison  and 
beyond  to  Prairie  du  Chien  on  the  Mississippi ;  a  second 
from  here  to  Columbus,  where  my  newly-married  sister 
lives,  and  thence  farther  to  La  Crosse  on  the  Missis- 
sippi; and  a  third  from  here  to  Fond  du  Lac  and  the 
great  pineries  on  Lake  Winnebago.  One  sees  and 
hears  nothing  but  houses  under  construction,  which  are 
rising  with  the  speed  of  the  wind;  excavating  on  every 
hand,  and  harvesting  in  the  neighborhood.  Before 
winter  all  three  railroads  are  to  be  ready  for  traffic  as 
far  as  the  nearest  main  points.  And  if  you  look  at  the 
map  you  will  find  that  Watertown  is  a  railroad  center 
of  importance.  All  these  roads  have  come  into  existence 
because  of  immediate  need,  and  therefore  have  good 
prospects.  The  excellent  outlook  for  Watertown  is 
further  improved  by  the  fact  that  the  last  legislature 
made  this  place  the  county  seat.  The  immigration  in 
the  spring  was  small  in  numbers  but  the  immigrants 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  171 

brought  a  conspicuously  large  amount  of  cash,  so  that 
the  farms  round  about  have  risen  decidedly  in  value.  .  .  . 

To  Frederick  Althaus 

Watertown,  November  15,  1856 
My  letter  is  being  written  piecemeal.  The  cause  for 
the  long  interruption  is  a  visit  from  a  Philadelphia 
family  who  stayed  with  us  a  number  of  days.  There  is, 
indeed,  no  lack  of  connection  with  the  civilization  of 
the  coast.  Recently  the  one-time  member  of  the  Par- 
liament, Wesendonk  of  Diisseldorf ,  visited  us  in  com- 
pany with  his  wife.  He  formerly  belonged  to  the  pro- 
slavery  Democracy,  but  now  works  very  actively  and 
effectively  for  the  party  of  freedom.  He  has  an  excel- 
lent mercantile  business  in  Philadelphia,  and  is  travel- 
ing in  part  for  it  and  in  part  to  prepare  the  way  for  a 
national  convention  of  the  Germans  in  the  United 
States.  The  German  population  is  to  be  vigorously 
stirred  up  during  the  next  four  years,  and  brought  en 
masse  into  battle  in  the  election  of  1860.  But  I  see  I 
am  involuntarily  getting  back  into  politics,  whereas 
other  things  are  probably  more  interesting  to  you. 

Our  house  has  been  finished  for  some  weeks.  Also, 
the  equipment  has  been  completed  with  the  exception 
of  a  load  of  furniture  which  is  hourly  expected  from 
Milwaukee.  Most  of  our  things  were  made  here  and  are 
as  nice  looking  as  they  are  solid.  Anything  pleasanter 
than  Margarethe's  and  my  suite  cannot  be  conceived. 
These  rooms  are  on  the  ground  floor,  to  the  right  of  the 
corridor.  Margarethe  usually  sits  in  her  light  bay 
window,  which  is  shaded  by  the  veranda  roof,  with 
views  of  the  city,  the  woods,  and  the  hills  directly  in 


172  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

front  of  her.  My  windows,  the  one  directly  opposite  my 
writing-table  and  the  other  on  my  left,  open  upon  the 
yard,  the  farm  buildings,  the  river,  and  the  woods  be- 
hind. The  rooms  are  fairly  spacious,  very  high,  not 
without  a  certain  elegance  and  at  the  same  time  livable 
and  homelike. 

As  to  business  and  undertakings,  aside  from  the 
information  that  since  my  arrival  I  have  sold  a  whole 
row  of  lots  I  can  hardly  give  you  a  better  idea  than  by 
speaking  of  the  improvements  and  the  prospects  of  the 
town.  For  the  interests  of  landowners  are  so  identified 
with  those  of  the  city,  that  anything  other  than  a  com- 
mon progress  or  common  decline  is  hardly  thinkable. 

Four  new  lines  of  railway  are  at  this  time  building, 
which  will  put  Watertown  in  direct  communication  with 
the  Mississippi,  with  Lake  Superior,  with  the  northern 
portion  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  partly  with  Chicago. 
Three  of  these  will  be  in  operation  within  a  few  months. 

In  addition  to  real  estate,  I  have  gone  into  another 
line.  The  governor  of  Wisconsin  gave  me  a  commission 
as  notary  public  and  I  have  an  office  for  this  purpose. 
In  March  the  office  of  advocate  will  be  added,  for  which 
I  have  a  pretty  extended  field  here.  Besides,  I  have  be- 
come president  of  an  insurance  company  newly  or- 
ganized here,  which  is  just  now  beginning  to  do  business. 

Up  to  now  the  climate,  although  it  has  already  given 
us  a  taste  of  winter,  has  not  by  far  caused  Margarethe 
the  inconvenience  which  last  year  made  our  stay  in  Eng- 
land so  unpleasant.  All  day  long  she  is  upstairs  and 
downstairs  in  our  fresh  new  house,  and  we  begin  to  ex- 
perience such  profound  satisfaction  as  we  have  not  here- 
tofore had  in  our  home  life  and  which  I  should  never 
have  had  but  for  her  taste  and  talent  for  arranging.    If 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     173 

I  could  only  give  you  some  of  my  way  of  thinking  and 
attract  you  hither!  If  I  could  only  have  you  here  a 
half-year  on  a  visit,  perhaps  you  would  change  your 
mind.  The  more  I  become  accustomed  to  the  broad 
fairway  in  this  country,  the  less  can  I  comprehend  your 
pleasure  in  the  confining,  monotonous  conditions  in  Lon- 
don. But  I  shall  of  course  have  to  give  it  up,  and  I  do 
it  with  deepest  regret.  Who  knows  when  life's  courses 
may  bring  us  together  again?  I  feel  more  and  more 
that  my  lot  is  cast  on  this  side  the  ocean,  unless  changes 
hardly  to  be  expected  shall  occur  over  there.  And  fate, 
or  your  inner  urge,  seems  to  bind  you  ever  closer  to 
Europe,  the  more  I  detach  myself  from  it. 

But  enough  of  this.  What  is  Herzen  doing?  I 
should  like  to  write  him  as  soon  as  I  find  time,  but  the 
difficulty  is  that  I  have  heard  nothing  from  him  for  so 
long  that  I  probably  could  write  little  that  would  arouse 
his  interest. 

Do  me  the  favor  not  to  let  me  wait  as  long  as  I  have 
made  you  wait.  Since  I  can  hardly  hope  any  more  to 
see  you  here  personally,  your  letters  are  all  the  dearer, 
indispensable  guests. 

With  the  warmest  greeting  of  friendship. 

To  Henry  Meyer 

Watertown,  November  20,  1856 
In  the  past  few  weeks  public  matters  have  made 
more  than  the  usual  demands  upon  American  citizens. 
You  over  there  in  your  decrepit  Europe  can  hardly 
understand  any  more  how  a  great  idea  can  stir  the 
masses  to  their  depths  and  how  an  enthusiastic  fight  for 
principles  can  displace  all  other  interests;  even,  for  a 


174  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

certain  time,  materialistic  ones.  It  is  the  first  time  in 
seven  years  that  I  have  taken  part  in  politics — in  a  time 
which  arouses  even  the  sleepiest  and  in  a  cause  which  is 
second  to  none  in  the  world  in  reach  and  greatness. 

At  last  a  regular,  intense  struggle  against  slavery 
has  arisen  in  the  United  States;  and  the  party  of  free- 
dom, while  defeated  in  the  first  election  contest,  despite 
its  youth  and  deficient  organization,  has  shown  so  much 
strength  and  won  so  much  territory  that  it  can  look  to 
the  future  with  the  confidence  of  victory. 

The  campaign  was  one  of  the  most  stirring  that 
America  has  ever  seen,  and  the  efforts  put  forth  by  both 
sides  were  tremendous.  A  universal  struggle  of  opinion 
among  a  free  people  has  about  it  something  unbeliev- 
ably imposing,  and  never  does  one  see  with  more  clarity 
what  a  comprehensive  influence  political  freedom  exer- 
cises upon  the  development  of  the  masses.  How  gloomy 
is  the  contrast  which  makes  itself  felt  here  between  the 
native-born  American,  to  whatever  rank  he  belongs,  and 
the  immigrant  of  German  or  Irish  origin!  While  the 
first  seizes  upon  a  new  truth  with  clearness  and  ease, 
finding  at  the  same  time  the  means  of  putting  it  into 
active  operation,  the  second,  by  the  mere  force  of  inertia, 
lies  fast  anchored  by  stupid  prejudices.  It  costs  him 
incredible  effort  to  engage  in  the  bold  venture  of  a 
new  idea  and  to  reach  some  independence  of  judgment. 
Still,  our  efforts  were  not  unsuccessful,  and  Fremont 
received  in  our  state  alone  upwards  of  twenty-five 
thousand  German  votes.  As  for  myself,  my  brief  ac- 
tivity brought  me  such  widespread  influence  that  I  shall 
probably  not  keep  out  of  official  life  very  long. 

Our  home  life  will  interest  you  more  than  politics. 
We  have  been  living  for  a  number  of  weeks  in  the  new 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  175 

house,  and  Margarethe  has  an  extended  field  for  her 
activities.  .  .  .  Briefly,  our  house  suits  us  so  well  that 
we  prefer  not  to  go  out,  and  there  is  nothing  lacking 
in  it  but  a  visit  from  you  and  a  piano,  on  which  we 
could  play  with  satisfaction.  For  the  rest,  the  cottage 
is  situated  so  beautifully,  and  its  external  appearance  is 
so  tasteful,  that  envious  looks  have  already  been  cast 
upon  it.  .  .  . 

To  Gottfried  Kinkel 

Watertown,  December  1,  1856 
I  write  you  today  out  of  the  full  pleasure  of  my 
home  situation.  Picture  to  yourself  a  handsome  country 
house,  upon  a  gentle  acclivity,  a  gunshot  distant  from 
the  town;  an  unhampered  view  over  stream  and  town 
and  the  encircling  hills  before  it,  and  looking  out  at  the 
back  upon  an  oak  forest  enlivened  here  and  there  by 
small  dwellings.  Within  the  house,  to  the  right  of  the 
hallway,  are  two  high  and  spacious  rooms  connected  by 
a  wide  sliding  door.  In  the  bay  window  of  the  one 
room  are  a  lovely  young  woman  at  work  and  a  red- 
cheeked,  angel-faced  child  at  play ;  in  the  other  is  a  per- 
son of  the  male  species  at  the  writing-table,  surrounded 
with  books — among  them,  Blackstone  and  Kent  and 
their  associates  distinguish  themselves  by  their  thick- 
ness; on  the  walls  guns,  implements  of  the  chase,  and 
the  like — the  ensemble  so  cheerful  and  agreeable — the 
front  room  also  not  without  elegance.  Here  you  have 
my  wife,  Hans  [Agathe],  and  myself  as  at  this  moment 
we  live  and  have  our  being.  Would  you  complete  the 
scene,  bethink  you  that  December  came  in  today  with 
one  of  those  snowstorms  known  only  here  in  the  West, 


176  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

which  bring  the  trains  to  a  stand  in  the  open  fields, 
snow  in  travelers  on  the  wild  prairie,  and  interrupt  all 
communication.  The  storm  sings  a  many-voiced  song  in 
the  notched  pointed  arches  of  our  veranda,  and  the 
whirling  snow  permits  us,  from  the  window,  a  view  of 
but  a  few  paces.  "Such  a  moment  was  it  after  the  great 
action" — that  I  got  around  to  write  you.3S.  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

New  York,  March  21,  1857 
...  I  promised  to  tell  you  something  about  my 
journey.  The  weather  was  constantly  bad,  and  the 
farther  east  we  came  the  deeper  was  the  snow.  About 
eleven  o'clock  Thursday  night  we  arrived  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  great  suspension  bridge  over  Niagara, 
and  one  of  my  wishes,  to  see  this  mighty  phenomenon  of 
nature  and  this  triumph  of  human  art,  seemed  about  to 
be  fulfilled.  But  the  night  was  so  pitch  black  that  one 
could  not  see  a  foot  before  him,  and  I  must  say  that 
the  waterfall  and  the  suspension  bridge  were  ravishing 
in  this  illumination !  I  saw  nothing,  absolutely  nothing 
of  them.  We  were  obliged  to  change  at  the  station 
because  the  connection  with  the  corresponding  train  had 
failed.  The  hotels  were  full,  and  so  my  portion  was  a 
soft  place  on  the  stone  floor  of  a  barroom,  where  how- 
ever I  slept  splendidly  for  several  hours.  In  the  morn- 
ing at  six  we  went  on,  and  I  asked  where  the  great 
"hanging  bridge"  and  Niagara  Falls  were.  The  answer 
was,  we  had  passed  them  in  the  night,  and  with  this 
impression  of  the  great  phenomenon  of  nature  I  had 
to  proceed  in  patience.     About  twelve  o'clock  at  night 

38  Balance  of  letter  printed  in  Speeches,  etc.,  i,  24-28. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ     177 

I  arrived  here  at  the  Prescott  House,  slept  until  seven, 
and  immediately  fitted  myself  out  at  a  clothing  store, 
as  necessity  required.  At  breakfast  a  surprising 
homage  awaited  me.  The  landlord  was  so  delighted 
about  the  arrival  of  such  a  distinguished  guest,  that  he 
brought  on  a  bottle  of  champagne  in  my  honor  in  order 
that  he  might  clink  glasses  with  me.  My  fame  is  now 
almost  seven  years  old,  and  in  the  seventh  year  it  still 
brings  me  a  bottle  of  champagne !  Is  not  that  a  strong 
testimony  against  the  vanity  and  transitoriness  of 
human  fame?  The  hotel  is  elegant,  the  accommoda- 
tions good,  and  everything  in  the  finest  order.  I  have 
every  reason  to  be  content,  but  although  I  have  been 
here  hardly  a  day  I  want  to  go  back  again.  .  .  . 

I  know  how  heavy  the  evenings  will  be  for  me.  I 
shall  see  Miss  Heron  and  hear  Thalberg,  who  is  still 
here.  I  have  seen  Lowe  and  Schiitz  and  shall  probably 
be  with  them  once  more  before  I  leave  New  York. 
Lowe  was  very  charming,  and  I  shall  probably  take 
advantage  of  his  invitation  to  visit  him.  Schiitz  has 
become  old ;  he  gave  me  news  about  Techow  which  per- 
mits me  to  hope  that  the  latter  may  be  induced  to  come 
to  this  country.  I  learned  the  address  of  Baron  Briin- 
ing.  He  lives  in  Brooklyn  and  is  undecided  whether  to 
go  back  or  remain  here.    Perhaps  I  may  see  him.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

New  York,  March  24,  1857 

...  I  have  much  to  tell  you  about  other  things.    I 

have  heard  Thalberg,  seen  Miss  Heron,  talked  with  the 

Baron,  etc.     In  the  Thalberg  concert  I  heard  for  the 

first  time  what  real  piano  playing  is,  and  I  will  demon- 


178  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

strate  it  to  you  when  I  come  home.  Miss  Heron  did 
not  enrapture  me  so  much.  She  is  ugly  and  on  the  stage 
she  constantly  makes  faces,  which  render  her  uglier 
still.  Her  voice  is  mediocre  and  does  not  nearly  equal 
that  of  Davenport.  Her  acting  is  overdone;  she  does 
too  much  in  all  respects  and  is  in  general  too  excitable. 
She  has  unquestionably  great  talent,  but  will  still  have 
to  undergo  much  training.  It  is  folly  to  compare  her 
with  Rachel.  She  patterns  after  Rachel  but  cannot 
attain  the  plane  of  Davenport.  She  is  at  times  a  little 
grotesque  and  will  have  to  civilize  herself  first.  I  fear, 
however,  that  she  has  gone  too  far  already  in  the  wrong 
direction.  .  .  . 

Now  I  must  tell  you  about  the  Baron,  who  sent 
word  to  me  by  Dr.  Lowe  requesting  me  to  call ;  I  found 
him  quartered  in  a  quiet  street  in  Brooklyn.  He  has 
received  letters  from  his  family,  which  of  course  urge 
him  strongly  to  return,  and  so  he  is  once  more  in  a 
state  of  the  greatest  indecision  about  what  he  should  do. 
The  children  are  well  and  nice  as  ever.  .  .  .  He  is  now 
thinking  of  going  to  Russia  with  his  family  next  sum- 
mer, but  hopes  and  expects  that  the  Russian  govern- 
ment will  make  this  impossible  by  excluding  him  from 
the  state  federation.  However,  Lowe  thinks  that  he 
will  not  get  away  from  here. 

Do  not  worry  about  me.  I  shall  not  fall  a  prey  to 
the  cutthroats  and  pickpockets.  Aside  from  nights  at 
the  theatre  I  am  in  bed  in  good  season  and  experience 
very  little  of  the  dangers  of  the  new  metropolis. 

To  Henry  Meyer 
Watertown,  September  20,  1857 
...  I  am  in  the  process  of  rising  in  the  world  to 
a  certain  extent,  and  according  to  all  appearances  I 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  179 

shall  from  now  on  hold  quite  an  important  position  in 
Wisconsin.  Inasmuch  as  the  antislavery  party  here  has 
a  pretty  large  majority,  the  confirmation  of  my  nomina- 
tion by  the  popular  vote  November  3  is  hardly  doubtful, 
and  I  shall  then  advance  at  a  single  leap  from  the  posi- 
tion of  alderman  in  Watertown  to  that  of  lieutenant- 
governor  of  Wisconsin.  Meanwhile  the  honor  brings 
its  own  burden.  I  have  a  great  deal  to  do  and  have  to 
carry  on  an  almost  oppressive  correspondence  in  order 
to  prepare  for  my  public  appearance,  so  that  I  may  do 
honor  to  my  new  position.  In  the  next  four  weeks  I 
shall  have  to  travel  a  good  deal  and  shall  return  to  the 
full  quiet  of  home  life  only  at  the  beginning  of  Novem- 
ber. 

For  the  rest,  everything  goes  its  usual  pace.  Busi- 
ness is  very  quiet;  money  matters  in  the  whole  United 
States  are  depressed.  Railroad  bonds  and  other  se- 
curities are  lower  than  almost  ever  before,  and  grain 
prices  are  likewise  very  much  depressed.  We  have  had 
an  excellent  crop,  and  the  quantity  makes  up  somewhat 
for  the  low  prices.  How  far  the  financial  crisis  which 
has  recently  broken  upon  us  may  go  is  still  hard  to  de- 
termine. While  some  assert  it  has  already  passed,  it 
has  in  fact  hardly  begun.  We  shall  have  to  take  things 
as  they  come,  with  resignation.  .  .  . 

To  Henry  Meyer 

Watertown,  November  25,  1857 
You  were  right  when  in  your  last  letter  you  con- 
jectured I  should  probably  be  so  overwhelmed  with 
other  matters  as  hardly  to  be  able  to  get  at  letter  writ- 
ing.    The  campaign  kept  me  continually  on  the  move. 


180  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

particularly  since,  long  before  the  decisive  day,  we  noted 
that  the  financial  crisis  was  claiming  the  attention  of 
everyone,  so  that  we  could  easily  lose  our  majority  and 
the  election.  Since  our  party  is  composed  chiefly  of 
the  most  reliable  element  of  the  population — namely, 
the  native  American  farmers,  who  follow  politics  with 
a  great  deal  of  conscientiousness  but  with  little  zeal,  un- 
less particularly  exciting  questions  happen  to  be  up  for 
decision — we  feared  lest  many,  more  than  usually  con- 
cerned about  their  business,  should  fail  to  go  to  the 
polls  and  leave  us  in  the  lurch.  The  strength  of  our 
opponents  lies  mainly  in  the  populous  cities,  and  con- 
sists largely  of  the  Irish  and  the  uneducated  mass  of 
German  immigrants,  and  in  the  nature  of  things  is 
easier  to  assemble  and  to  handle.  The  result  justified 
our  concern.  Only  90,000  votes  were  cast  in  the  entire 
state,  which  has  nearly  140,000  voters,  and  the  bulk  of 
the  defections  are  on  our  side.  Although  the  election 
took  place  on  November  3,  we  do  not  yet  have  certainty 
about  the  outcome  because  the  determining  majorities 
were  so  small.  All  reports  agree  that  of  all  candidates 
of  our  party  I  have  the  largest  vote,  and  indeed  a  some- 
what outstanding  one.  But,  since  my  opponent  was 
likewise  one  of  the  strongest,  I  hold — notwithstanding 
my  American  friends  stoutly  and  firmly  maintain  that 
I  was  elected — that  my  election  will  not  be  certain  until 
the  official  count  is  completed  and  I  have  in  my  hands 
the  official  letter  of  appointment.  This  count  begins 
on  December  15,  and  will  perhaps,  depending  on  the 
manner  in  which  it  is  conducted,  make  necessary  a  de- 
cision of  the  supreme  court,  inasmuch  as  in  such  doubt- 
ful results  frauds  not  infrequently  take  place.  I  do 
not  intend  to  brag  until  I  know  the  end.     The  office 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  181 

which  would  fall  to  me  is  that  of  lieutenant-governor, 
the  deputy  of  the  governor.  During  the  sessions  of  the 
law-making  body  he  is  president  of  the  senate,  the  upper 
house  of  the  legislature,  and  in  case  of  the  illness  or 
absence  of  the  governor  he  has  to  conduct  the  full  ad- 
ministrative power  of  the  state.  The  position  carries 
with  it  extensive  influence  and,  for  him  who  knows  how 
to  fill  it,  is  the  forerunner  of  many  other  things.  How- 
ever the  final  result  of  the  last  campaign  may  turn  out, 
for  me  it  has  been  the  source  of  an  outstanding  in- 
fluence and  a  considerable  reputation  which  extends 
beyond  the  boundaries  of  Wisconsin  and  which  will  in- 
sure me  a  respected  position  in  America. 

I  send  you  herewith  the  stenographic  report  of  a 
speech  I  delivered  during  the  candidature,  which  has 
made  and  is  still  making  the  rounds  of  a  large  portion 
of  the  United  States.  It  has  gained  much  attention 
and  was  much  cited.  It  will  perhaps  not  be  uninterest- 
ing to  you,  since  it  contains  a  comprehensive  account  of 
our  political  parties.  .  .  . 

Happy  New  Year  to  all!    With  heartiest  greetings. 

To  Henry  Meyer 

Watertown,  January  15,  1858 
I  had  intended  to  write  you  for  New  Year's  Day, 
but  a  lot  of  pressing  engagements  prevented.  My  New 
Year's  wish  comes  late  on  that  account,  but  it  is  hearty. 
I  am  really  glad  that  the  mean  calendar  year  1857  is 
finally  past.  It  was  full  of  bad  luck  of  every  sort. 
Just  think,  in  the  election  I  was  defeated  by  forty-eight 
votes — 45,005  against  45,053 — and  that  by  means  of  an 
election  fraud  which  lies  practically  open  to  the  light 


182  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

but  could  be  proved  and  determined  only  by  some  out- 
lay of  money.  This  I  have  no  desire  to  spend  in  these 
hard  times.  I  therefore  content  myself  this  time  with 
the  spurs  I  won  in  the  campaign,  in  which  we  as  a  party 
were  defeated  through  an  irresponsible  negligence  on 
the  part  of  the  members. 

As  to  material  circumstances,  the  financial  crisis 
naturally  lies  heavy  upon  us.  .  .  .  The  greatest  incon- 
venience in  the  present  conditions  is  the  frightful  scar- 
city of  money.  One  cannot  cash  in  anything  and  there- 
fore loses  out  on  all  sides.  ...  In  the  East  money  is 
again  more  plentiful  and  confidence  has  risen,  and  I 
hope  we  shall  soon  feel  the  effect.  If  things  continue 
as  at  present  the  cabinet  maker  desiring  to  purchase  a 
leg  of  mutton  from  the  butcher  will  soon  have  to  pay 
with  a  table  and  take  a  chair  for  change.  There  have 
been  a  considerable  number  of  failures  among  our  mer- 
chants. Among  others,  the  brothers  Werlich  of  Ham- 
burg failed,  a  fact  which  on  account  of  their  excellent 
reputations  causes  general  regret.  .  .  . 

To  Gottfried  Kinkel 

Madison,  February  15,  1858 
For  months  I  have  been  unable  to  think  of  paying 
my  epistolary  debts  to  friends.  You  complain  that 
your  business  activities  in  London  prevent  you  from  all 
correspondence  having  no  other  object  than  friendly 
sociability,  and  I,  in  a  wholly  different  sphere  of  life, 
must  heartily  join  in  that  lamentation.  .  .  . 

Since  last  September,  when  my  political  career  be- 
gan to  be  decided,  to  take  shape,  and  to  make  more 
comprehensive  demands  upon  me,  I  have  been  wholly 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  183 

unable  to  enjoy  home  life,  and  as  the  superscription  of 
this  letter  will  show  you  I  am  not  writing  you  now  from 
my  delightful  home  place. 

You  have  again  called  me  back  vividly  into  the  old 
world,  and  I  must  admit  that  of  all  your  descriptions 
those  concerning  your  family  life  and  your  activity 
were  the  most  interesting  to  me.  It  is  not  that  I  have 
lost  interest  in  and  understanding  of  the  political  de- 
velopments in  Europe,  but  because  the  insight  into  your 
own  individual  life  is  the  most  refreshing  of  all.  I  can 
respond  in  kind.  During  the  past  months  my  wife  has 
on  the  whole  felt  pretty  well,  and  though  she  is  some- 
what ailing  at  times  I  still  see  a  steady  progress  toward 
improvement.  She  has  worked  herself  so  effectively 
into  our  life  here  and  proved  herself  so  splendidly  prac- 
tical therein,  that  (without  boasting)  our  house  is  the 
pleasantest  to  be  seen  far  and  near,  and  everyone  of 
whatever  nationality  is  at  ease  with  us.  My  children 
thrive  splendidly.  .  .  . 

Business  lately  has  been  beneath  contempt.  The 
money  famine  went  so  far  that  people  were  almost 
forced  to  go  back  to  the  primitive  custom  of  barter. 
The  greater  part  of  our  merchants,  naturally,  went  into 
bankruptcy.  Personally,  I  have  had  no  serious  losses 
to  bemoan.  .  .  .  Fortunately,  all  necessities  were  so 
cheap  here  that  almost  nothing  was  required  to  keep  the 
house  going;  for  the  rest,  we  cut  our  coat  to  suit  the 
cloth.  .  .  . 

So  much  about  business;  now  as  to  politics.  My 
activity  and  successes  in  the  Fremont  campaign  of  1856 
brought  me  more  recognition  than  I  expected.  On 
September  2  last  year  the  Republican  convention  nomi- 
nated me  for  the  office  of  lieutenant-governor  with  a 


184  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

majority  approximating  a  unanimous  vote,  since  which 
time  I  have  come  more  and  more  into  the  foreground. 
Circumstances  favored  me  decidedly.  I  got  around  the 
state  widely  during  the  campaign,  and  with  my  speeches 
I  had  the  best  success — even  more  with  the  English 
than  with  the  German.  .  .  . 

On  the  whole,  I  believe  my  popularity  has  risen  too 
rapidly  to  be  enduring.  I  was  a  phenomenon  to  the 
Americans.  A  German  who,  they  assert,  speaks  their 
language  better  than  they  do,  and  besides  has  the  ad- 
vantage over  their  own  politicians  of  possessing  a  pass- 
able knowledge  of  European  affairs,  must  naturally 
attract  their  attention.  So,  I  am  more  popular  among 
the  Americans  than  among  the  Germans,  for  among  the 
latter  are  those  who  envy  me.  You  know  our  country- 
men in  America.  By  the  way,  so  far  I  have  little  cause 
to  complain.  .  .  . 

However  the  imminent  events  may  shape  them- 
selves, it  is  certain  that  Buchanan's  administration  will 
mark  a  turning  point  in  American  politics  and  history. 
It  has  shown  in  a  decisive  manner  the  logic  of  events, 
and  simplified  the  contest.  However  much  the  eco- 
nomic condition  of  the  country  claims  the  attention  of 
statesmen  and  the  people,  everything  gives  way  before 
the  overwhelming  magnitude  of  the  slavery  question, 
and  all  efforts  to  cover  it  up  with  other  things  are  fu- 
tile. We  watch  developments  in  Washington  with  more 
eagerness  than  anxiety  and  are  ready  to  pitch  in.  Apro- 
pos, I  am  "first  colonel"  on  the  staff  of  our  militia,  and 
possibly  we  shall  wage  a  bit  of  a  war,  if  necessary. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  185 


To  Gottfried  Kinkel 

Watertown,  February  23,  1858 
I  have  been  home  since  day  before  yesterday  and 
see  before  me  a  week  of  quiet.  I  shall  utilize  this  time 
for  thinking  of  something  besides  politics.  Your  Nim- 
rod  has  attracted  so  much  attention  as  to  have  been  re- 
viewed in  a  number  of  German- American  papers.  The 
articles  are  in  part  very  favorable,  in  part  tame.  That 
the  play  is  not  sufficiently  radical  and  incendiary  for  cer- 
tain New  Yorkers  goes  without  saying,  and  I  am  glad  of 
it.  To  be  sure,  you  have  gloriously  kept  up  the  praise- 
worthy modesty  of  never  having  sent  me  your  works, 
but  that  you  do  not  let  your  Chief  Nimrod  come  to  me 
is  a  bit  too  much.  Chief  Nimrod  I  must  have,  and  if 
you  will  send  it  to  me  you  may  salve  your  conscience 
with  the  knowledge  that,  if  it  does  not  please  me,  I  will 
condemn  it  by  letter,  regardlessly. 

In  order  to  overcome  your  last  scruple  I  send  you 
herewith  a  speech  of  mine,  the  only  one  which  during 
the  last  campaign  was  correctly  reported.  Upon  this 
speech  rests  a  large  part  of  my  reputation  in  this  coun- 
try. So,  with  becoming  modesty  I  lay  it  at  the  feet  of 
my  master  in  the  oratorical  art.  Excerpts  from  it  have 
made  the  round  of  the  American  press  and  were  well 
received.  I  need  hardly  say  that  I  spoke  after  careful 
preparation.  An  extemporary  speaker  I  shall  never  be. 
In  debate  it  goes  well  enough;  but  without  preparation 
— that  is,  relying  on  the  inspiration  of  the  moment — I 
shall  hardly  ever  be  able  to  make  a  great  and  beautiful 
speech.  It  would  be  of  the  greatest  importance  to  me, 
but  I  believe  I  am  lacking  in  the  absolute  command  of 
form.    In  this  connection  I  envy  you;  study  and  prac- 


186  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

tice  may  achieve  something,  but  they  will  not  make 
the  master.  .  .  . 

Farewell  for  today,  and  try  now  and  then  to  find 
a  free  hour  for  sending  me  such  a  dear  letter  again. 
Greet  your  family  heartily  for  us  all,  and  particularly 
tell  your  dear  wife  how  much  I  thank  her  for  her  lovely 
letter.  I  should  have  written  her  direct  had  I  not  known 
that  complete  community  of  ownership  exists  between 
you.    Do  not  forget  the  Chief  Nimrod. 

To  His  Wife 

New  York,  March  12,  1858 
It  goes  without  saying  that  I  arrived  here  safely 
and  stood  the  journey  with  my  usual  equanimity;  and 
that  I  am  already  yearning  for  our  quiet  house  in  the 
West  is  certain.  The  noise  and  rush  of  this  city  make 
me  melancholy  in  the  long  run  and  I  shall  be  glad  to 
regain  my  western  freedom. 


To  Adolf  Meyer 

Watertown,  October  18,  1858 
This  winter  I  shall  live  with  Margarethe  in  Mil- 
waukee. Sometime  ago,  in  consequence  of  an  invita- 
tion of  the  Republican  State  Central  Committee  of 
Illinois,  I  spoke  before  a  great  assembly  in  Chicago 
with  such  success  that  I  was  asked  by  a  number  of 
citizens  of  that  place  to  settle  there  as  a  lawyer.  They 
went  so  far  as  formally  to  guarantee  me  a  respectable 
income,  so  that  I  was  not  disinclined  to  consider  it. 
When  this  matter  became  known,  some  of  the  most 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  187 

prominent  American  merchants,  bankers,  and  property- 
holders  in  Milwaukee  met  for  the  purpose  of  making 
me  the  same  offer  for  Milwaukee  which  had  been  made 
by  Chicago,  if  I  would  remain  in  the  state  of  Wisconsin. 
I  embraced  the  latter  proposition  all  the  more  willingly 
since  I  already  have  a  pretty  wide  reputation  in  this 
state  and  because  my  pecuniary  interests  are  concen- 
trated here.  For  the  future,  our  affairs  will  be  so 
shaped  that  we  shall  live  in  Milwaukee  in  the  winter, 
and  in  the  summer  in  Watertown,  an  arrangement 
which  the  railway  connections  will  make  convenient  for 
my  practice.39  Inasmuch  as  I  have  already  such  far- 
reaching  connections  in  the  whole  United  States  and 
have  a  great  number  of  friends  in  this  state,  I  believe 
that  I  shall  be  able  to  make  considerable  money  as  a 
lawyer.  Besides,  in  times  of  depression  like  the  present 
the  lawyers  are  the  only  class  that  prospers. 

I  am  sending  you  herewith  a  small  packet  of  printed 
matter,  my  latest  "Works."  These  have  made  some- 
thing of  a  sensation,  and  as  a  result  of  the  address  on 
"Americanism"  I  was  named  one  of  the  regents  of  the 
State  University.  Are  you,  or  is  Henry,  still  in  pos- 
session of  my  manuscript  relating  to  the  French  Revo- 
lution? I  have  no  copy  of  it  and  I  should  like  the  origi- 
nal manuscript,  in  order  in  my  leisure  time  to  make  a 
couple  of  historical  essays  out  of  it,  for  which  I  could 
get  very  good  pay.  If  the  manuscript  is  still  there,  will 
you  have  the  goodness  to  forward  it  at  your  first  op- 
portunity? 

39Schurz's  agreement  to  practice  law  in  partnership  with  Halbert  E. 
Paine  is  dated  January  1,  1859. 


188  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

To  Frederick  Althaus 

Watertown,  November  5,  185840 

I  recognize  and  feel  how  much  cause  you  have  to 
complain  of  me,  but  I  assure  you  that  for  months  I  have 
had  no  quiet  day  which  would  have  furnished  the  neces- 
sary leisure  and  comfort  for  writing  such  a  letter  as  I 
should  like  to  write  you.  .  .  . 

Margarethe  is  become  a  very  zealous  and  enthu- 
siastic politician,  reads  the  newspapers  with  much  regu- 
larity, and  never  fails  to  cut  out  everything  that  relates 
to  me.  These  collections  are  then  sent  off  to  Hamburg 
in  order  to  give  her  brothers  some  notion  of  her  hus- 
band. .  .  . 

Do  you  know  that  we  are  strongly  thinking  of  bring- 
ing you  here  and  of  preparing  a  comfortable  berth  for 
you?  .  .  . 

At  any  rate,  deem  the  matter  at  least  worthy  of 
consideration.  Let  me  know  by  return  mail  if  and 
under  what  conditions  I  should  propose  you  to  the 
Board  of  Regents.  Your  position  would  be  a  com- 
fortable, agreeable,  and  influential  one,  and  we  should 
be  able  to  undertake  and  accomplish  many  things  to- 
gether. Think  the  matter  over  and  write  me  soon,  at 
any  rate  in  time  for  me  to  know  long  enough  before 
the  meeting  of  the  regents  where  I  am.  You  ought  to 
weigh  the  chances  that  are  open  to  you  for  the  future 
in  London  and  what  kind  of  career  would  be  open  to 
you  here.  Also,  a  thought  about  your  offspring  ought 
not  to  be  left  out  of  consideration.  Margarethe  is  quite 
enthusiastically  in  favor  of  it.  If  it  could  be  arranged, 
one  of  our  most  cherished  wishes  would  be  fulfilled. 

What  Charlotte  wrote  us  of  your  domestic  life  has 

40  Portions  of  letter  not  translated,  in  Speeches,  etc.,  i,  36-38. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  189 

given  us  the  deepest  pleasure.  And  the  blessing  which 
awaits  you  can  only  increase  your  happiness.  The  joy 
of  having  children  you  have  not  yet  experienced,  and 
you  will  find  that  your  imagination  could  not  give  you 
an  adequate  conception  of  it.  Our  two  have  developed 
in  a  loveliness  that  surpasses  description.  During  the 
summer  Margarethe  was  ill  much  of  the  time,  so  that, 
although  the  doctors  do  not  regard  her  illness  as  related 
in  any  way  to  climatic  conditions,  we  have  thought  of  a 
trip  to  Europe.  Her  illness  is  the  only  shadow  upon  our 
domestic  happiness.  My  health  is  as  usual;  that  is, 
such  that  my  body  seldom  reminds  me  of  its  existence. 
Now  let  me  hear  from  you  soon,  especially  about  the 
matter  referred  to  above.  Cordial  regards  to  Charlotte ; 
also  to  Herzen  and  to  our  other  friends. 

To  Gottfried  Kinkel 

Milwaukee,  December  26,  1858 
We  have  learned  all  about  it  from  the  newspapers.41 
We  were  sitting  in  my  room  with  Anneke  and  his  wife 
when  a  friend  called  me  out  and  gave  me  a  sheet  which 
contained  the  entire  report.  No  blow  could  have  come 
to  us  so  unexpectedly  and  none  could  have  brought  all 
other  thoughts  to  such  a  sudden  end.  It  is  not  surpris- 
ing that  I  received  no  letter  from  you.  One  cannot 
always  write,  and  what  you  would  have  been  able  to 
write  me  I  knew  already,  knowing  you.  I  am  sure  you 
do  not  expect  me  to  force  myself  to  write  you  words  of 
consolation.  I  could  perhaps  do  it  if  I  did  not  under- 
stand your  grief.  Besides,  that  is  not  the  right  thing 
for  men  who  have  so  often  looked  fate  in  the  eye  and 

41  Johanna  Kinkel  died  in  London  on  November  15,  1858.     [A.  S.] 


190  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

who  will  have  to  do  so  hereafter,  who  knows  how  often. 
Every  blow  should  steel  us  against  new  blows  and  every 
loss  harden  us  against  new  losses.  We  have  not  lived 
and  fought  nearly  enough  as  yet.  I  see  you  standing  be- 
fore me  as  in  the  flesh,  surrounded  by  your  children 
who  have  lost  not  merely  their  first  but  also  their  second 
home.  I  see  you  facing  the  future  with  courage.  I 
know  you  have  it,  and  that  the  hardest  trial  cannot 
break  it.  This  confidence  is  unshakable  in  me  and 
therefore  I  know  that  no  one  can  console  you  except 
yourself. 

Now  when  you  are  able,  write  me,  and  do  so  in  the 
consciousness  that  you  can  nowhere  find  a  more  loyal 
or  sympathetic  understanding.  The  bonds  which  unite 
us  are  too  strong  and  too  genuine  for  you  to  fail  of 
knowing  this.  Therefore  write  and  tell  me  all  that  you 
feel  you  must  say  to  someone.  I  wish,  dear  friend,  I 
might  have  you  here  now  and  lead  you  into  the  surf 
of  the  life  in  which  I  am  swimming.  But  perhaps  it  is 
better  to  battle  in  quiet  with  a  grief  which  a  noisy  ac- 
tivity might  outroar  but  cannot  still. 

Write  as  soon  as  you  can.  Let  me  feel  as  you  feel, 
and  be  assured  there  is  no  heart  which  appreciates  yours 
so  greatly  as  mine. 

Margarethe  and  I  send  love  to  your  children.  Re- 
mind them  of  us. 

To  His  Wife*2 

Boston,  April  19,  1859 
I  have  just  returned  from  a  dinner  with  Longfel- 
low.   I  am  dead  tired.    Oh,  that  I  might  have  an  hour 

43  See  also  letters  of  April  13,  14,  15,  1859,  in  Speeches,  etc.,  i,  161-163. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  191 

in  our  cozy  room,  I  lying  on  the  sofa,  you  beside  me  in 
the  rocking-chair,  the  children  clambering  over  me!  I 
am  once  more  surfeited  with  glory,  but  cannot  keep  it 
at  a  distance.  I  receive  thirty  to  forty  visitors  between 
ten  o'clock  a.m.  and  three  o'clock  p.m.,,  and  when  later 
I  return  home  there  are  a  number  of  additional  cards. 

My  reception  at  Fanueil  Hail  was  magnificent.43 
There  were  between  fifteen  hundred  and  two  thousand 
people,  the  galleries  occupied  by  ladies.  I  spoke  like  a 
god,  and  today  I  cannot  get  away  from  the  praises  of 
my  speech.  It  is  in  all  the  papers;  you  will  perhaps 
have  seen  it  already.  If  not,  let  me  simply  say  I  am 
satisfied  with  it.  .  .  . 

I  cannot  write  more,  but  will  tell  you  all  when  I 
am  with  you  again. 

To  His  Wife 

New  York,  April  21,  1859 
I  have  been  in  New  York  two  hours.    Last  night  I 
spoke  in  Worcester  with  great  success.    I  hesitated  long 
whether  to  go  home  direct  but  at  last  concluded,  being 
once  more  in  Boston,  to  finish  my  business  here. 

My  success  in  Massachusetts  was  decidedly  brilliant. 
My  way  hither  is  opened.  I  have  already  made  prelimi- 
nary agreements  respecting  the  proposed  lectures  and 
received  the  most  cheerful  assurances  on  all  sides. 
George  Sumner,  brother  of  the  celebrated  Charles, 
Longfellow,  and  others  will  see  that  I  have  plenty  of 
engagements.  My  speech  was  read  with  admiration 
everywhere  and  has  won  for  me  the  whole  intelligent 

"Where  he  gave  the  address  on  "True  Americanism."  See  Speeches, 
etc.,  i,  48-72. 


192  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

world.  I  was  hardly  able  to  accept  one-half  of  the  in- 
vitations with  which  I  was  overwhelmed.  I  was  the 
"lion,"  and  was  glad  to  get  away.  This  "lionizing"  is 
a  very  strenuous  business,  which  I  am  hardly  up  to.  .  .  . 
What  a  jaded,  crazy  letter  I  am  writing!  But  such 
is  my  mood.  My  head  is  stupid  and  my  whole  being  ex- 
hausted. The  time  in  Boston  was  excessively  strenu- 
ous, and  I  shall  be  happy  when  you  can  nurse  me  again. 
Do  you  know  what  it  means  to  be  intellectual  from 
morning  till  night  and  be  obliged  to  say  brilliant  things  ? 
That  was  my  problem ;  I  believe  I  solved  it.  I  was  sen- 
tentious as  an  oracle.  But  now  I  should  like  a  few  days' 
rest  and  the  privilege  of  being  stupid. 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  September  20,  1859 
After  a  long,  long  journey  I  reached  here  yesterday 
morning  about  ten  o'clock.  The  train  on  which  I  left 
La  Crosse  Junction  was  one  of  the  slow  kind.  It  was 
half  past  nine  at  night  when  we  reached  La  Crosse. 
The  steamer  left  at  eleven,  and  when  I  awoke  in  the 
morning  I  found  that  on  account  of  the  heavy  fog  we 
had  been  forced  to  lay  by  in  the  night  about  four  hours. 
We  had  not  made  twenty-five  miles  by  seven  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  From  then  on  the  voyage  proceeded 
cheerily  through  the  wonderfully  beautiful  Mississippi 
Valley.  But  we  had  so  much  trouble  avoiding  sandbars, 
which  on  account  of  the  low  stage  of  the  water  appear 
everywhere,  that  we  were  hardly  able  to  make  eight 
miles  per  hour.  At  noon  we  actually  stuck  fast  on  a 
sandbar  and  got  afloat  again  only  after  four  hours' 
work.    At  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  reached  Lake 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  193 

Pepin  with  its  wildly  romantic  shores.  We  should  have 
been  there  in  the  morning.  Evening  brought  us  a  heavy- 
storm.  The  rain  came  down  in  torrents,  and  flash  after 
flash  of  lightning  illumined  our  way  among  the  wild, 
savage,  lonesome  islands  of  the  river.  We  expected  to 
be  in  St.  Paul  by  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  so  I  went  to 
bed  with  my  clothes  on.  At  four  o'clock  in  the  morning 
I  awoke  to  find  that  we  had  again  run  upon  a  sandbar 
about  four  miles  from  St.  Paul,  within  sight  of  the 
city.  So  we  paced  the  deck  restlessly  until  at  last,  after 
nine  o'clock,  we  got  free,  and  entered  St.  Paul  after  ten. 
The  entire  journey  from  La  Crosse  hither  took  about 
thirty-five  hours. 

At  the  landing  I  was  received  by  the  committee. 
Great  preparations  had  been  made  for  my  reception  on 
the  twelfth — a  torchlight  procession,  music,  speeches  of 
welcome,  etc.  The  excitement  is  said  to  have  been  tre- 
mendous. Of  course  all  of  these  arrangements  were  in 
vain.  The  whole  business  is  to  be  repeated,  however, 
when  I  speak  here  in  St.  Paul,  which,  if  I  go  to  the  state 
fair,  will  be  the  case  later  on.  The  preparations  that 
are  being  made  for  that  occasion  are  being  kept  very 
quiet.  I  am  going  up  the  Minnesota  River  today  to 
fill  the  appointments  which  remain  on  the  old  schedule. 

One  of  the  first  men  I  saw  on  the  street  here  after 
my  arrival  was  Rothe,44  in  the  company  of  Judge  Lar- 
rabee.  He  [Rothe]  had  announced  a  meeting  for  last 
evening  and  had  allowed  himself  to  be  advertised  as 
4 'one  of  the  most  distinguished  German  orators."  The 
meeting,  however,  did  not  take  place,  for  what  reasons 
1  do  not  know.    I  saw  him  here  in  the  hotel  in  gloomy 

44  Emil  Rothe,  referred  to  on  p.  146.  He  was  now  a  strong  political 
opponent. 


194  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

lonesomeness,  sitting  in  the  ladies'  parlor  with  Mrs. 
Larrabee.  Whether  or  not  he  will  get  to  speak  I  do  not 
know ;  certainly  the  Germans  here  will  give  him  a  warm 
reception  if  he  should  take  it  into  his  head  to  discuss  me. 
Probably  he  will  leave  again  without  accomplishing 
anything.  .  .  . 

One  more  word  about  politics :  while  my  non-nomi- 
nation is  universally  regretted  here,  the  matter  has  in 
no  wise  injured  me  in  public  opinion.45  On  the  con- 
trary, the  enthusiasm  with  which  I  was  received  ex- 
ceeded my  expectation. 

To  His  Wife 

Shaska,  Minnesota,  September  21,  1859 
Today  I  am  writing  from  a  little  tavern  in  a  small 
country  place  in  the  wilderness.  What  wilderness  is 
and  what  primitive  places  are  and  what  wilderness  roads 
are  we  no  longer  know  in  Wisconsin.  In  St.  Paul  I  was 
furnished  a  wagon  and  two  horses  with  which  to  make 
the  tour  this  week.  Day  before  yesterday  noon  I  got 
under  way.  My  road  led  past  Fort  Snelling,  which 
like  the  old  castles  on  the  Rhine  stands  on  a  high  cliff 
on  the  Mississippi,  at  the  point  where  it  receives  the 
Minnesota  River.  The  view  is  magical.  On  the  left 
the  Mississippi,  about  as  wide  as  the  Rhine  at  Bonn, 
confined  by  high,  steep,  occasionally  wooded  cliff  walls ; 
on  the  right  the  Minnesota,  with  its  hilly,  gently  de- 
scending banks,  not  unlike  the  most  beautiful  parts  of 
the  Rhine  valley.  Fort  Snelling  itself  could  pass  for 
an  ancient  knightly  castle  with  its  round  towers  and 

45  Schurz  expected  the  Republican  nomination  for  governor  of  Wiscon- 
sin in  1859,  but  it  went  to  Alexander  W.  Randall. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  195 

bastions.  The  whole  view  awakened  in  me  recollections 
of  the  fatherland.  From  there  it  is  but  one  mile  to 
Minnehaha  Falls.  The  way  led  first  across  a  flat  prairie, 
bounded  in  the  distance  by  a  girdle  of  woods.  This 
prairie  formed  the  plateau  on  the  hills  which  rise  from 
the  stream-bed.  So  you  drive  out  on  the  prairie,  on 
which  the  last  thing  you  expect  to  find  is  a  waterfall. 
Suddenly  you  encounter  a  bush-grown  ravine.  You 
hear  the  rushing  of  waters  without  seeing  anything; 
you  climb  up  and  stand  suddenly  in  view  of  one  of  the 
most  entrancing  natural  spectacles.  A  small  streamlet, 
no  wider  than  our  house  with  the  veranda,  falls  from  the 
height  into  the  rocky  gorge.  The  water  falls  from  a 
bold  overhanging  rock  roof,  in  the  form  of  a  wonderful 
curve  into  the  green  gorge.  You  go  behind  the  fall, 
which  is  nearly  sixty  feet  high,  and  stand  as  in  a  cave 
closed  by  a  curtain  of  falling  water.  Through  this 
curtain  the  lively  sunlight  plays  and  you  find  yourself 
wrapped  in  the  rainbow  colors  of  the  rising  mist.  You 
too  must  see  it  as  soon  as  an  opportunity  for  another 
western  trip  offers.    It  is  just  too  beautiful. 

I  was  able  to  spend  only  half  an  hour  at  Minnehaha 
Falls ;  then  over  the  lifeless  prairie  to  Shakopee,  where 
I  was  to  make  my  first  speech.  It  was  here  that,  not 
more  than  a  year  and  a  half  ago,  the  Sioux  and  Chip- 
pewa fought  a  bloody  battle  which  ended  with  the  death 
and  scalping  of  many,  the  butchering  and  roasting  of 
the  Chippewa  head  men — a  remarkable  spectacle  for 
the  whites,  who  had  already  been  settled  here  for  several 
years. 

The  people  had  given  up  hope  of  my  coming,  and 
my  arrival  aroused  joyful  surprise.  Instantly  a  group 
of  farm  wagons  was  set  in  motion,  and  the  only  musical 


196  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

instruments  in  the  village,  two  small  drums  and  one  big 
one,  announced  the  coming  meeting.  In  the  evening, 
accordingly,  I  found  a  densely  crowded  hall,  Germans 
and  Americans.  I  spoke  both  German  and  English, 
with  the  best  results,  and  among  the  German  country- 
men there  was  no  end  of  handshaking  and  of  assurances 
that  now  they  would  vote  Republican.  The  Americans 
were  exceedingly  enthusiastic.  As  they  said,  they  had 
never  heard  that  kind  of  speaking,  and  I  can  assure  you 
that  in  Shakopee  my  reputation  is  made  and  firmly  es- 
tablished. 

Yesterday  morning  the  journey  was  resumed.  We 
drove  through  the  lowlands  along  the  Minnesota  River, 
through  grass  that  was  six  to  eight  feet  high,  and  crossed 
the  stream  in  a  very  primitive  ferry  boat.  We  went  to 
Waconia,  twenty  miles  from  Shakopee.  Arrived  there 
about  two  o'clock,  I  found  to  my  great  astonishment 
that  the  town  of  Waconia  consisted  of  a  tavern,  a 
steam-mill,  and  two  frame  houses  in  process  of  con- 
struction. Moreover,  we  learned  to  our  profound  re- 
gret that  a  report  had  come  from  St.  Paul  stating  that 
I  had  not  yet  arrived  and  so  the  meeting  had  been 
called  off.  We  therefore  decided  to  eat  dinner  and  go 
on  to  the  next  appointment.  In  conversation  with  the 
landlord  and  his  father,  in  whom  I  found  countrymen, 
we  fell  to  talking  of  the  price  of  land  and  the  like.  The 
landlord  mentioned  that  his  brother-in-law  S check  had 
bought  eighty  acres  quite  near  by,  and  so  I  suddenly 
found  before  me  the  relatives,  brother-in-law  and  father- 
in-law,  of  our  ever  memorable  doctor.46  That  they  are 
somewhat  dissatisfied  with  their  fate  I  can  readily  un- 
derstand.   They  live  in  the  densest  woods,  reached  only 

48  Possibly  Dr.  Tiedemann  of  Philadelphia  is  referred  to  here. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  197 

by  the  worst  possible  roads,  in  winter  almost  wholly 
cut  off  from  all  communication  with  the  world. 

The  wife,  in  the  rough,  unfinished  log  house,  had 
prepared  us  a  very  acceptable  dinner,  and  so  about  three 
o'clock,  without  having  accomplished  anything  and  yet 
in  cheerful  mood,  we  drove  off  to  our  destination  ten 
miles  away.  The  weather  was  glorious,  the  woods 
wondrously  beautiful — but  the  roads!  Newly-made 
corduroy  bridges  of  the  most  primitive  type  alternated 
with  bottomless  mud-holes,  and  you  fairly  hold  your 
breath  when  you  strike  a  piece  of  road  on  which  the 
stumps  stand  so  thickly  that  you  resignedly  give  up 
trying  to  avoid  them. 

About  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  we  were  here  in 
Shaska,  a  new  place  of  three  hundred  inhabitants. 
Well,  this  is  a  real  place  in  which  to  live:  a  German 
tavern,  beer,  clean  bed-sheets,  good  food,  etc.  About 
two  o'clock  this  afternoon  I  shall  speak  to  the  as- 
sembled people;  and  my  thunders  will  reecho  through 
the  forests  of  Minnesota,  and  the  Indians  will  lift  up 
their  astounded  heads  to  hear.  All  for  the  good  cause ! 
Oh,  what  will  human  beings  not  do  and  suffer  for  the 
good,  good  cause!  It  is  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning; 
tonight  I  shall  write  more.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Shakopee,  September  22,  1859,  6  a.m. 
This  is  a  great  country.  At  four  o'clock  yesterday 
I  was  through  with  my  meeting  at  Shaska  and  set  out, 
by  way  of  Shakopee,  where  I  spoke  two  days  ago,  to 
go  to  Lexington,  where  I  was  to  meet  Grow  of  Penn- 
sylvania.     One   mile   from    Shakopee   my   companion 


198  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

asked  me  to  stop  at  a  brewery  on  the  way,  which  we  ac- 
cordingly did.  Suddenly  we  heard  the  "band"  of  Sha- 
kopee,  made  up  of  the  familiar  drums,  and  behold!  the 
people  of  Shakopee  were  coming  in  nine  wagons,  with 
flying  banners,  to  give  me  a  festive  entrance  to  the 
place.  My  recent  speech  had  delighted  them  so  that 
they  absolutely  would  have  more.  Thunder  of  a  can- 
non, a  bonfire,  a  hall  packed  to  bursting  with  people,  all 
the  beautiful  ladies  of  Shakopee  sitting  on  the  front 
benches.  The  excitement  was  tremendous.  I  spoke  as 
never  before,  and  all,  male  and  female,  were  highly  in- 
spired. Today  for  Lexington.  There  goes  the  whistle 
of  the  steamer  which  should  take  this  letter.  Adieu, 
adieu.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Paul,  September  27,  1859 
This  is  what  I  call  a  campaign!  This  is  what  I  call 
life  and  travel  in  the  West !  You  received  my  last  letter 
from  Shakopee.  I  wrote  it  shortly  before  our  depar- 
ture for  Lexington.  We  got  under  way  about  eight 
o'clock.  At  first  the  way  led  over  the  rolling  prairie,  a 
healthful  drive  in  the  fresh  morning  air.  At  last  the 
road  shifted  into  the  woods,  and  we  still  had  sixteen 
miles  to  our  destination.  I  spoke  in  my  last  letter  about 
the  forest  roads  of  Minnesota,  but  what  we  found  be- 
tween Belle-Plaine  and  Lexington  surpasses  the  boldest 
creations  of  fancy.  Such  corduroy  bridges,  such  mud- 
holes,  such  impenetrable  thickets  of  stumps  I  have 
never  seen.  We  had  to  get  down  from  the  wagon  al- 
most a  dozen  times  in  order  to  pull  the  wheels,  and  oc- 
casionally the  horses,  out  of  the  mud.     We  made  at 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  199 

times  not  more  than  two  miles  per  hour.  The  time 
passed  between  laughing  and  cursing.  Finally  about 
three  in  the  afternoon  we  reached  Lexington,  a  town 
consisting  of  a  tavern,  a  schoolhouse,  and  a  store.  Had 
we  not  found  en  route  an  American  farmer  who  served 
us  as  guide,  and  loped  steadily  before  our  wagon  at  a 
jog  trot,  we  should  never  have  found  the  place. 

In  Lexington  I  found  Congressman  Grow  of  Penn- 
sylvania, with  whom  we  enjoyed  a  festive  dinner,  con- 
sisting of  bacon,  potatoes,  beets,  and  an  indescribable 
pie  of  equally  indescribable  taste.  After  eating  we 
spoke  in  the  schoolhouse  to  the  gathering  composed  of 
men,  women,  and  babies,  the  latter  more  than  half  the 
time  at  their  mothers'  breasts. 

After  we  had  exercised  our  oratorical  proclivities 
sufficiently,  and  the  assembly  had  been  dismissed,  we 
considered  how  we  might  contrive  to  obtain  for  break- 
fast in  the  morning  something  besides  bacon.  Grow, 
who  is  a  capital  fellow,  hit  upon  the  idea  that  we  should 
essay  the  noble  art  of  fishing.  So,  we  secured  tackle, 
procured  a  rowboat,  and  floated  out  at  dusk  upon  the 
near-by  lake.  In  less  than  an  hour  we  had  a  whole 
pailful  of  fish,  and  looked  forward  proudly  to  our  forth- 
coming breakfast.  We  slept  in  the  loft,  seven  men  in 
one  room,  made  our  morning  toilet  in  the  kitchen,  dried 
ourselves  with  our  pocket  handkerchiefs  (since  the 
towels  were  scarce  and  the  ones  there  had  been  previ- 
ously used),  ate  our  fish  with  extreme  self-satisfac- 
tion,47 and  after  separating  from  Grow  took  the  road  to 
Mankato,  a  town  thirty-six  miles  from  Lexington.  My 
companions  were  Scheffer,  nominee  for  state  treasurer, 
a   splendid   young   German,   and  Wilkinson,   a   very 

"Compare  statement  in  Reminiscences,  ii,  151-152. 


200  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

pleasant  American  who  will  probably  go  to  the  United 
States  Senate. 

I  was  astonished  to  find  how  well  I  was  already 
known.  Everyone  who  met  us,  even  in  the  densest 
wilderness,  exulted  the  moment  he  heard  my  name,  and 
there  was  no  end  of  handshaking.  Arrived  in  Mankato 
I  found  a  good  hotel  and  excellent  accommodations. 
The  house  where  the  meeting  was  held  was  full  to  burst- 
ing. The  people  came  from  a  circuit  of  twelve  to  fif- 
teen miles,  with  banners  and  drums,  in  order  to  hear 
"that  tremendous  Dutchman."  Everything  went  off 
well — with  three  cheers,  again  three  cheers,  and  once 
again  three  cheers!  After  a  good  sleep  we  found  our- 
selves next  morning  on  our  way  to  Henderson,  my  next 
appointment.  In  the  midst  of  the  open,  lonesome 
prairie  we  met  a  wagon  with  two  gentlemen  in  it.  In- 
stinctively we  stopped  one  another  and  after  exchang- 
ing the  usual  greetings  the  Honorable  Frank  Blair  of 
Missouri  and  the  Honorable  Carl  Schurz  of  Wisconsin 
recognized  each  other.  A  great  introduction  scene,  con- 
cluded in  festive  spirit  by  a  drink  from  the  brandy  bottle 
of  the  Honorable  Frank  Blair!  After  a  pleasant  little 
visit  we  separated  and  drove  off  in  opposite  directions. 

In  Henderson,  a  place  of  one  thousand  to  fifteen 
hundred  inhabitants,  deep  in  the  forest,  we  held  our 
meeting  during  a  terrific  storm  which  sent  down  its 
lightning  flashes  right  and  left  beside  us.  But  the 
people  were  enthusiastic,  and  even  the  ladies  would  not 
be  kept  away  by  the  down-pouring  rain.  The  thunder 
of  heaven  punctuated  my  periods.  I  received  there 
letters  from  the  state  central  committee,  who  requested 
my  presence  in  Stillwater  and  St.  Anthony  Monday 
and  Tuesday.    Accordingly,  we  left  Henderson  Sun- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  201 

day  morning  to  reach  if  possible  the  same  day  the  sixty- 
miles-distant  St.  Paul.  But  it  was  not  possible.  Our 
fagged-out  horses  needed  rest  so  badly  that  we  had  to 
stop  at  a  country  tavern  seventeen  miles  from  St.  Paul. 
Yesterday  afternoon  at  one  o'clock  we  were  as  far  as 
Stillwater.  I  spoke  in  a  big  warehouse  to  a  numerous 
gathering.  Last  night — serenades  with  torches,  etc. 
This  morning  at  five  o'clock  we  left  Stillwater,  and  I 
am  now  writing  you  in  the  brief  interval  between  my  ar- 
rival here  and  my  departure  for  St.  Anthony,  where 
there  is  to  be  a  colossal  mass  meeting  today.  The  news- 
papers announce  that  the  populations  of  five  or  six 
townships  are  to  meet  me  halfway  and  arrange  for  me 
a  triumphal  entry  into  St.  Anthony,  with  music,  thunder 
of  cannon,  etc.  .  .  .  From  St.  Anthony  I  shall  go  to 
St.  Cloud,  and  next  Saturday  I  shall  be  back  here  again, 
where  a  great  torchlight  procession  and  a  demonstra- 
tion as  magnificent  as  possible  are  to  be  arranged  for  me. 
The  Germans  here  are  very  enthusiastic.  .  .  . 

Adieu  for  today.    The  music  corps  is  here,  and  the 
carriage  waits  before  the  door.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  October  3,  1859 
"Still  in  St.  Paul?"  you  will  ask.  Yes,  still  here— 
and  I  shall  stay  the  entire  week  in  Minnesota.  Day  be- 
fore yesterday  I  was  escorted  to  the  German  theatre 
by  a  great  torchlight  procession,  and  yesterday  morn- 
ing I  was  already  on  the  steamboat  when  a  deputation 
of  Americans  and  Germans  brought  me  back,  almost 
forcibly,  so  that  I  might  speak  in  several  other  places 
where  I  was  vociferously  called  for.    So,  I  had  to  stay. 


202  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

We  have  had  glorious  times.  Last  Tuesday  I  was 
escorted  to  the  meeting  in  St.  Anthony  by  a  procession 
of  wagons  and  mounted  men  which  was  a  mile  long. 
In  our  meeting  were  between  four  and  five  thousand 
persons,  while  the  Democratic  meeting,  held  at  the  same 
time — and  addressed  by  Rothe  and  Larrabee — counted 
hardly  four  hundred.  In  the  evening  the  discussion  be- 
tween Rothe  and  me  actually  occurred.  I  believe  I 
wrote  you  in  my  previous  letter  how  the  matter  came 
about.  As  I  appeared  in  St.  Anthony  wholly  contrary 
to  Rothe's  expectations,  we  had  various  letters  to  ex- 
change before  Rothe  was  prepared  to  stand  for  a  dis- 
cussion. Finally  his  Democratic  friends  declared  that 
they  would  not  permit  him  to  speak  any  more  if  he  de- 
clined to  accept  my  challenge.  So  he  did  it,  and  you 
will  see  the  result  from  the  accompanying  clipping  from 
the  Minnesotan. 

The  affair  of  last  Saturday  was  brilliant,  but  there 
has  not  yet  been  an  issue  of  a  newspaper  with  a  de- 
scription of  it.  Next  Monday  I  shall  make  my  conclud- 
ing speech  in  the  vicinity  of  La  Crosse,  and  then  by  the 
very  earliest  train  I  shall  go  home.  I  am  positively 
homesick,  and  I  left  the  boat  yesterday  with  a  bleeding 
heart.  .  .  .  Kiss  the  children  and  greet  my  parents. 

To  His  Wife 

Milwaukee,,  November  5,  1859 
You  must  have  been  sad  when  I  failed  to  come  last 
night.  But  what  will  you  say  if  I  do  not  come  today? 
I  reached  here  last  night  about  twelve,  in  a  "propeller" 
from  Sheboygan.  I  found  everybody  here  eager  to 
see  me.    Things  are  so  confused  here  that,  as  they  tell 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  203 

me,  I  alone  shall  be  able  to  help.  In  the  expectation  of 
my  arrival,  they  arranged  for  a  meeting  tonight  and  are 
disposed  to  compel  me  to  stay.  I  shall  work  at  my 
Schiller  speech  tomorrow,  and  should  I  not  complete 
it  I  must  get  sick  on  the  day  set  for  it.  But  I  hope  to 
have  everything  ready  at  the  appointed  hour.  .  .  . 

Now  for  my  experiences :  Monday  night  I  spoke  in 
Fond  du  Lac,  with  the  happiest  results.  During  the 
night  I  went  to  Plymouth,  twenty-eight  miles,  and  next 
morning  to  Sheboygan,  where  I  met  Harvey  again,  and 
from  there  to  Manitowoc.  There  I  was  received  with 
music  and  cannon,  and  found  Hobart,48  who  could  be 
induced  only  with  great  difficulty  to  take  up  the  de- 
bate with  me.  .  .  .  Then  to  Sheboygan,  where  before  a 
very  large  assembly  I  had  the  second  debate  with  Ho- 
bart. A  greater  triumph  I  almost  never  experienced.  In 
my  hour-and-a-half  speech,  made  in  the  best  humor,  I 
left  of  him  absolutely  nothing,  and  the  Democrats  them- 
selves testified  that  I  treated  their  candidate  quite  too 
roughly.  A  clergyman  declared  he  had  heard  many 
discussions,  but  he  had  never  seen  a  man  so  flayed, 
roasted,  and  carved  up.    The  cheering  was  loud. 

The  following  morning  at  ten  I  spoke  to  a  German 
gathering  in  Sheboygan  and  then  took  a  special  train 
to  Plymouth,  where  I  spoke  at  two.  In  the  evening  I 
returned  to  Sheboygan  in  order  to  take  the  steamer  to 
Milwaukee.  But  the  steamer  was  delayed,  and  I  had 
to  wait  till  yesterday  afternoon  for  an  opportunity. 
That  was  the  cause  of  my  delay.  Now  I  am  here,  and 
the  thought  that  I  cannot  get  away  oppresses  me  with 
Alpine  weight.  But,  having  done  so  much,  I  must  still 
make  this  sacrifice.    Nothing  else  will  do.    Do  write  me 

48  Harrison  C.  Hobart,  Democratic  candidate  for  governor. 


204  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

so  that  I  may  have  your  letter  Monday  noon.     I  can 
hardly  wait  as  it  is. 

To  His  Wife 

Nashua,  New  Hampshike,  January  7,  1860 
I  have  just  reached  here  on  my  return  from  Con- 
cord. Tuesday  evening  I  gave  my  lecture  in  Spring- 
field; Wednesday  evening  I  made  the  speech  about 
Douglas  which  will  probably  appear  tomorrow  in  the 
Springfield  Republican.  Last  night  I  lectured  in  Con- 
cord and  this  evening  will  do  the  same  in  Nashua.  To- 
morrow morning  I  return  to  Boston.  I  had  a  cold 
and  was  hoarse  on  leaving  New  York,  but  at  this  mo- 
ment I  am  once  more  as  well  as  usual.  I  have  con- 
sidered the  matter  and  deem  it  best  to  return  home  at 
the  beginning  of  February,  and  place  my  Indiana  and 
Illinois  lectures  all  at  the  beginning  of  March. 

...  It  is  cold  here  in  New  Hampshire;  the  cold 
has  indeed  been  greater  than  we  had  it  in  Wisconsin 
in  the  winter  of  1856-1857.  The  snow  lies  two  to  three 
feet  deep  and  sleighing  is  splendid. 

To  His  Wife 

Boston,  January  12,  1860 
.  .  .  Next  Sunday  I  shall  speak  in  Music  Hall.  By 
dint  of  hard,  persistent  labor  I  have  completed  my 
address  on  "America  in  Public  Opinion  Abroad,"  and 
I  believe  it  is  going  to  please.  I  have  labored  unceas- 
ingly and  am  somewhat  tired.  Last  night  I  lectured 
in  Roxbury.  The  committee  insisted  on  hearing  again 
the  lecture  on  France.    This  evening  I  shall  be  in  Bos- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  205 

ton.  I  have  a  letter  from  Albany  which  makes  it  pos- 
sible that  I  shall  lecture  there  at  the  beginning  of  next 
week,  but  the  matter  is  still  uncertain.  I  have  nothing 
thus  far  from  New  York,  Hartford,  and  New  Haven. 
Not  to  have  them  would  be  a  nasty  loss.  .  .  . 

It  is  therefore  uncertain  when  I  shall  come  to  New 
York.  .  .  . 

My  Douglas  speech  appeared  in  the  Springfield 
Republican  today.49  I  am  sending  you  a  copy.  I  trust 
other  papers  will  copy  it. 

Next  Saturday  I  am  to  take  dinner  at  the  Parker 
House,  probably  with  a  small,  select  company.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Milwaukee,  February  23,  1860 
...  I  must  tell  you  also  how  things  stand  politi- 
cally. The  Assembly  at  Madison  has  in  it  a  majority  of 
greenhorns  who  do  not  know  how  to  do  anything,  but 
require  a  great  deal  of  time  to  do  it.  They  have  al- 
ready sat  for  six  weeks  and  so  far  have  accomplished 
nothing  at  all.  At  last  a  couple  of  young  talents  have 
come  forward  among  them,  and  I  hope  the  rest  of  the 
session,  which  will  probably  be  drawn  out  to  April  1 
(at  least  so  it  seems  to  me)  will  be  somewhat  more 
fruitful.  People  are  generally  very  well  satisfied  with 
Harvey  and  Howe,  but  Randall's  popularity  has  de- 
clined greatly.  Many  of  his  former  adherents  now 
look  upon  him  with  distinct  mistrust,  and  I  fear  there 
are  some  things  in  his  administration,  particularly  in 
the  land  surveys,  etc.,  which  are  not  quite  as  they  should 

49  Speech  on  Douglas  and  popular  sovereignty,  delivered  at  Springfield, 
Massachusetts,  January  4,  1860.    In  Speeches,  etc.,  i,  79ff. 


206  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

be.  Besides,  he  takes  a  most  equivocal  attitude  on  the 
states'  rights  question.  He  is  both  with  us  and  against 
us,  and  on  the  whole  I  believe  these  questions  of  prin- 
ciple are  to  him  indifferent.  The  people  notice  this, 
and  the  dissatisfaction  spreads  more  and  more.  The 
question  of  who  shall  be  chief  justice  is  being  sharply 
discussed,  and  the  opposition  to  the  former  judge,  A.  D. 
Smith,  who  received  La  Crosse  bonds,  is  taking  effect. 
On  the  one  hand  he  has  gained  many  friends  by  his  serv- 
ices, and  on  the  other  hand  those  who  are  opposed  to 
the  bonds  are  also  his  opponents  in  a  very  determined 
way.  I  belong  to  this  latter  group  and  shall  oppose  his 
nomination  to  the  utmost.  "Relentless  war  on  cor- 
ruption" is  my  platform,  and  I  shall  nail  the  party  to 
it  with  iron  rivets.  The  convention  will  be  held  on  the 
twenty-ninth.  I  hear  I  have  been  elected  delegate  in 
Watertown.  According  to  what  I  hear,  there  is  no  ques- 
tion about  my  being  sent  to  Chicago  from  the  "state  at 
large." 

My  Douglas  speech  has  naturally  been  spread 
around  here  in  uncounted  copies,  and  has  had  an  ex- 
traordinary effect.  Pamphlet  editions,  I  am  told,  are  ap- 
pearing in  various  places.  Lincoln  writes  that  he  has 
become  jealous  of  me.  The  greenhorns  in  the  legisla- 
ture at  Madison  gaze  at  me  big-eyed.  .  .  . 

When  we  opened  the  session  of  the  Board  of  Re- 
gents, Barnard  had  not  yet  returned  from  Connecticut. 
One  of  his  children  died  and  the  others  are  sick.  We 
could  accomplish  nothing,  so  after  hearing  several  com- 
mittee reports  we  adjourned.  The  following  night  Bar- 
nard arrived,  and  we  are  to  have  another  session  next 
week.  The  prospect  of  the  election  of  Dr.  Fuchs  as 
professor  is  good.  .  .  . 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  207 

You  now  know  all  that  I  can  tell  you  about  politics. 
One  thing  more :  the  Democrats  yesterday  elected  dele- 
gates to  the  Charleston  convention — Barstow,  Jackson 
Hadley,  and  the  whole  clique  of  corruptionists.  "There 
it  is  again.".  .  . 

You  ask  if,  you  being  absent,  the  house  impressed 
me  as  unfriendly  and  lonesome.  My  dearest,  it  is  just 
the  one  place  where  I  can  least  do  without  you.  I  do 
not  want  to  be  there  when  you  are  absent.  Last  Mon- 
day, in  going  to  Madison  via  Watertown,  passing 
through  the  town  after  dark  and  noting  behind  the 
scattered  gas-lights  the  location  of  the  house — where  you 
were  not — I  became  downright  sad  at  heart.  I  have  a 
strong  attachment  for  the  house.  Looking  back  upon 
the  year  that  is  past,  how  many  happy  days  have  we 
enjoyed  in  the  house!  What  changes  of  plans  and  of 
moods  have  we  not  experienced  there !  How  much  love 
and  loyal  care  have  dwelt  in  that  house !  That  is  what 
makes  the  place  so  dear  to  me,  but  it  is  likewise  the 
reason  why  I  do  not  want  to  be  there  without  you. 
Wherever  the  future  may  place  us,  near  or  far,  high  or 
low,  that  house  will  continue  to  occupy  a  tender  place 
in  our  memories ;  and  when  we  shall  contemplate  the  old, 
beautiful  days,  and  our  children  in  the  most  charming 
period  of  their  development,  the  scene  will  be  in  the 
precious  old  red  room  and  upon  the  veranda.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

February  27,  1860 
.  .  .  Tomorrow  morning  I  must  go  back  to  Madi- 
son, where  another  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Regents 
is  to  take  place.     Wednesday  is  the  state  convention, 


208  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

which  will  select  delegates  for  Chicago.  I  see  by  the 
papers  that  various  assemblies  in  the  state  have  passed 
resolutions  demanding  that  I  be  elected  delegate  for 
the  state  at  large.  The  nomination  for  chief  justice 
will  occur  at  the  same  time.  I  have  thought  out  a 
speech  in  opposition  to  the  corruptionists,  which  if  I 
find  it  necessary  to  deliver,  will  ring  in  their  ears.  You 
will  be  satisfied  with  me  in  that  respect.  I  hear  that  the 
A.  D.  Smith  faction  is  pretty  strong.  But  I  shall  not 
depart  from  the  principles  which  guide  me  in  my  politi- 
cal life,  even  if  I  have  to  fight  the  whole  Republican 
party.  Be  assured  you  shall  never  be  compelled  to 
blush  for  your  husband.  I  am  going  to  convince  the 
Republicans  that  my  declaration  of  war  on  corruption 
was  meant  seriously  and  that,  in  this  fight,  no  quarter 
will  be  given.  The  Americans  are  not  accustomed  to 
that,  but  if  they  want  to  have  the  Germans  who  are 
under  my  leadership  they  will  have  to  become  accus- 
tomed to  it.  .  .  . 


To  His  Wife 

Indianapolis,  March  14,  1860 
...  I  can  remove  your  worries  about  the  Booth 
matter.50  Fortunately  or  unfortunately,  the  business 
has  come  to  an  unexpectedly  sudden  end.  The  appli- 
cation for  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus  was  defeated  by  a 
division  of  opinion  in  the  Supreme  Court  which,  under 
the  circumstances,  was  perhaps  best.  A  final  argu- 
ment therefore  becomes  unnecessary.  In  this  manner  a 
direct  issue  was  avoided  and  the  principle  is  saved,  since 

50  Sherman  Booth,  implicated  in  the  rescue  of  Glover,  a  runaway  slave. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  209 

the  majority  of  the  Supreme  Court  adhere  to  their 
former  position.  But  other  complications  have  entered 
which  will  make  necessary  my  early  presence  in  Wis- 
consin. 

In  the  convention  I  secured  the  nomination,  by  a 
great  majority,  of  a  man  [A.  Scott  Sloan]  for  the  chief 
justiceship — almost  single-handed,  through  my  personal 
influence.  Now  Judge  Dixon,  with  whom  the  Republi- 
can party  was  dissatisfied,  has  come  out  as  an  independ- 
ent candidate  and  A.  D.  Smith  threatens  to  do  the  same. 
Doubtful  rumors  have  been  spread  abroad  about  the 
views  of  the  nominee;  they  are  ungrounded,  but  there 
they  are.  There  is  a  danger  that  through  much  split- 
ting up  of  the  vote  Dixon  may  be  elected,  unless  I  unite 
the  states'  rights  factions  and  hold  them  together  for 
one  candidate.  I  can  do  this,  without  making  a  public 
speech,  through  my  mere  presence.  The  election  is  at 
hand  and  the  business  presses.  I  have  now  filled  my 
appointments  in  Indiana.  I  found  here  a  letter  from 
Governor  Chase,  who  invited  me  to  Columbus  for  Satur- 
day evening,  and  a  dispatch  from  Cincinnati  with  an  in- 
vitation for  next  Monday;  at  the  same  time  various  dis- 
patches from  Milwaukee,  urging  me  to  come  back  as 
quickly  as  possible.  I  have  telegraphed  to  Columbus 
and  Cincinnati  and  shall  perhaps  go  there.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Milwaukee,  March  25,  1860 
I  arrived  here  at  precisely  the  right  time.    My  Mr. 
Paine51  was  nominated,  and  we  must  see  that  he  is 

51  Halbert  E.  Paine ;  nominated  for  city  attorney.  Republicans  gained 
2,000  votes,  says  the  Sentinel  under  the  caption  "All  Honor  to  the  Ger- 
mans," who  were  influenced  by  Carl  Schurz  and  the  Atlas. 


210  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

elected.  The  election  occurs  on  April  2  and  the  matter 
is  of  so  much  general  importance  that  we  must  not  shun 
some  work.  The  Republican  ticket  for  the  city,  in 
general  and  in  particular,  is  so  unimpeachable  and 
strong  that  it  seems  very  possible  that  we  shall  make 
Milwaukee  Republican  this  time.  That  would  be  the 
most  brilliant  result  of  all  this  spring's  campaigns.  Mil- 
waukee, the  citadel  of  the  Democracy,  Republican! 
That  would  give  Douglas  the  coup  de  grace!  Is  that 
not  worth  "sweat  of  the  noble"?  Will  you  be  angry  if 
I  give  to  this  great  and  good  cause  some  days  of  my 
labor  ?  Where  so  much  depends  on  me  and  my  manipu- 
lation, you  would  not  wish  me  to  let  the  thing  fail 
through  negligence,  would  you?  You  can  appreciate 
the  responsibility  that  goes  with  my  leadership,  a  re- 
sponsibility which,  to  be  sure,  is  not  signed  and  sealed 
but  is  morally  not  less  binding  on  that  account.  And 
would  you  not  be  proud  if,  on  the  morning  of  April  3, 
I  should  bring  you  news  of  a  Republican  victory  in 
Milwaukee  and  you  could  say:  "I  have  a  share  in  this 
great  outcome,  too;  I  bought  it  with  my  sacrifice"? 
That  is  the  way  wives,  even  those  in  the  humblest  sphere, 
can  make  their  contribution  toward  the  victory  of  great 
principles — a  contribution  all  the  higher  and  more 
worthy  of  respect  in  that  they  do  not  have  the  stimulat- 
ing excitement  of  active  fighting.  I  know  you  live  on 
too  high  a  plane  to  forget,  in  the  commonplace  desires 
of  life,  the  responsibilities  of  your  position.  Whatever 
you  may  think  or  say  in  a  moment  of  vexation  or  dis- 
satisfaction, I  have  always  recognized  in  you  the  un- 
common, the  foundation  for  greatness,  and  have  ever 
believed  in  it.  And  in  this  belief  I  have  perhaps  exacted 
of  you  sacrifices  which  were  hard,  but  these  exactions 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  211 

were  directed  to  an  unusual  personality,  inured  to  the 
stormiest  labors  of  life.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

New  York,  July  1,  1860 

I  have  just  come  back  from  a  session  of  the  com- 
mittee which  has  lasted  the  entire  day.  We  worked 
from  morning  until  evening  and  have  honestly  earned 
our  rest.  Our  main  problem  is  finished,  the  neces- 
sary organization  has  been  effected,  and  only  the  finan- 
cial arrangements  remain  to  be  looked  after.  .  .  . 

Tomorrow  I  must  go  to  Hartford  to  see  the  chan- 
cellor.52 His  wife  wrote  me  that  he  was  too  ill  to  look 
me  up  in  New  York,  but  desired  greatly  to  confer  with 
me  in  Hartford.  So  I  must  go  tomorrow.  Tomorrow 
night  I  shall  be  back  here  in  order  to  meet  the  finance 
committee  Thursday  morning.  Then  I  go  to  Philadel- 
phia to  see  on  Friday  the  chairman  of  the  Pennsylvania 
State  Central  Committee  and  make  arrangements  with 
him  for  the  campaign  in  that  state.  Friday  night  I  ex- 
pect to  leave  there  and  possibly  go  only  as  far  as  Pitts- 
burg. 

From  Thieme  and  several  Americans  I  have  the 
most  pressing  telegraphic  requests  to  speak  en  route 
in  Cleveland,  where  I  shall  probably  arrive  Monday 
noon  and  address  a  gathering  in  the  evening.  I  ex- 
pect to  leave  that  place  in  the  night.  .  .  . 

The  way  my  ratification  speech  takes  is  truly  re- 
markable.    The  people  here  are  still  quite  enraptured 

62  Henry  Barnard,  chancellor  of  the  University  of  Wisconsin,  of  which 
institution  Mr.  Schurz  was  a  regent.  See  letter  of  Mrs.  Barnard  dated 
June  29,  1860.  MS  in  Library  of  Congress.  Photostat  copy  in  Library  of 
State  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin. 


212  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

over  it.  Governor  Morgan  said  he  had  read  it  aloud 
at  least  twenty  times,  so  that  his  wife  makes  fun  of  him. 
Thurlow  Weed  and  Horace  Greeley  have  both  printed 
it  in  pamphlet  form.  .  .  . 

The  question  came  up  in  committee  as  to  what  would 
follow  upon  the  election  of  Lincoln.  That  I  was  to  go 
upon  a  European  mission  was  treated  as  if  it  were  a 
matter  of  course. 

So  much  about  news.  Now  another  matter :  Doug- 
las is  here,  and  yesterday  a  demonstration  was  given 
him  which  proved  very  lean.  .  .  . 

It  is  evening  and  the  day's  work  is  completed ;  I  am 
at  home  for  the  night,  and  now  the  hours  come  in  which 
I  can  once  more  think  of  you  much  and  undisturbed. 
The  period  of  rest  is  wholly  devoted  to  you  and  the 
children,  and  my  fancy  roams  about  in  the  well-trod- 
den paths.  .  .  . 


To  His  Wife 

Philadelphia,  July  6,  1860 
.  .  .  As  you  see,  I  have  luckily  escaped  all  the 
dangers  which  threaten  the  stranger  in  the  great  city  of 
New  York,  the  city  where  one  can  so  easily  lose  him- 
self and  where  there  are  so  many  bad  men.  Also,  I  have 
survived  the  Fourth  of  July  unshot,  unburned,  un- 
stabbed,  and  unslain,  and  have  arrived  happily  in  the  se- 
cure haven  of  the  doctor's  home  [Dr.  Henry  Tiede- 
mann].  You  will  doubtless  receive  me  like  the  sheep 
that  was  half  lost  and  was  found  again.  On  the  Fourth 
of  July  I  left  New  York  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
just  as  the  troops  were  gathering  and  Governor  Morgan 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  213 

was  buttoning  on  his  epaulettes  in  order  to  appear  in 
the  parade  with  the  greatest  brilliancy. 

I  went  to  Hartford,  one  hundred  and  ten  miles,  to 
look  up  Chancellor  Barnard,  found  him  better,  as  I 
thought,  but  still  not  fit  for  work,  remained  three  hours 
with  him,  and  returned  in  the  evening  to  New  York, 
where  I  arrived  about  nine  o'clock.  New  York  pre- 
sented an  interesting  sight.  It  seemed  as  if  the  chim- 
neys were  hurling  rockets  and  the  paving  stones  ex- 
ploding with  loud  detonations.  The  city  was  like  an 
erupting  volcano  in  whose  crater  a  battle  was  being 
fought.  You  may  well  suppose  that  I  got  home  in  the 
speediest  manner  and  listened  patiently  to  the  hellish 
business  from  within  the  safe  room,  resting  on  my  sofa 
in  Jacobi's  parlor.53  Yesterday  morning  I  left  New 
York  and  came  on  here  at  four  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon. .  .  . 

Today  I  am  engaged  in  arranging  my  campaign  for 
eastern  Pennsylvania,  and  Curtin  has  been  advised  by 
telegraph  to  meet  me  at  a  point  on  the  Pennsylvania 
Central  Railway  in  order  to  make  the  arrangements  for 
western  Pennsylvania.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Quincy,  Illinois,  July  17,  1860 
Just  arrived.  A  deputation  met  me  twenty-two 
miles  from  here,  at  the  depot — the  Governor,  a  multi- 
tude of  people,  music,  cannon,  etc.  I  had  to  make  a 
short  speech  in  reply  to  a  speech  of  welcome.  I  am  now 
at  last  left  alone.  It  is  scandalously  warm,  but  still 
endurable.    At  the  evening  meeting  the  Wide-A wakes 

13  Dr.  Abraham  Jacobi. 


214  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

and  accessories.  I  have  already  found  letters  which 
suggest  extra  appointments.  These  will,  of  course,  be 
promptly  refused.  Of  one  thing  you  can  be  assured: 
I  shall  undertake  nothing  that  I  cannot  carry  out.  As 
soon  as  I  feel  that  the  work  is  too  heavy  and  is  threaten- 
ing my  health  I  shall  instantly  stop.    Rely  upon  that. 

To  His  Wife 

Peoria.,  Illinois,  July  19,  1860 
Today  I  am  writing  you  surrounded  by  a  multitude 
of  people  who  almost  smother  me  with  their  friendliness. 
The  affair  in  Quincy  was  glorious:  torchlight  proces- 
sion, music,  serenades,  etc.  I  was  almost  cheered, 
drummed  and  trumpeted  to  deafness.  Yesterday  I 
begged  to  be  left  alone  and  actually  did  have  a  quiet 
morning.  But  when  I  got  ready  to  leave  in  the  after- 
noon, the  music  and  the  crowd  were  again  on  hand  and 
I  was  literally  drummed  and  trumpeted  out  of  town. 
That  is  terrible.  It  is  warm  here  but  endurable.  Today 
I  spoke  in  the  afternoon  and  shall  have  the  evening  to 
myself.  Things  look  well  here.  Success  seems  almost 
certain.  Accordingly  it  is  easy  to  work.  I  must  close ; 
the  people  around  me  are  becoming  restless  and  are 
bombarding  me  with  questions  of  all  sorts. 

To  His  Wife 

Peoria,  Illinois,  July  20,  1860 
I  am  just  at  the  point  of  leaving.    A  few  hurried 
words.    The  demonstration  yesterday  was  magnificent. 
The  Germans  are  coming  over  in  masses.    The  jubila- 
tion is  almost  oppressive.     I  am  very  well,  although  it 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  215 

is  extremely  warm.  I  am  utilizing  every  possible  mo- 
ment for  rest  and  was  never  in  better  voice.  I  believe 
I  am  growing  stout.  Everything  would  be  well  if  it 
were  not  for  the  serenades  which  get  one  out  of  bed  at 
night.  I  have  determined  not  to  make  another  serenade 
speech,  and  to  that  decision  I  shall  remain  loyal. 


To  His  Wife 

Havana,  Illinois,  July  21,  1860 
Yesterday  I  left  Peoria  so  hurriedly  that  I  had  no 
time  to  post  my  letter.  I  went  to  Pekin  and  sent  it 
from  there.  Since  then  I  have  spoken  three  times,  twice 
in  Pekin  and  once  here  in  Havana.  At  that  I  am  well 
and  cheerful  as  a  fish  in  water.  The  weather  is  warm, 
but  we  have  a  breeze  which  helps.  I  am  not  in  the  least 
fatigued.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Beardstgwn  [Illinois],  July  23,  1860 
Evening  before  last  I  went  by  train  to  Bath,  slept 
there,  and  yesterday  came  here  across  country.  The 
dust  was  frightful  but  the  weather  quite  cool  and 
pleasant.  I  arrived  here  last  night  and  was  quartered  in 
the  home  of  a  German  doctor  who  has  been  here  for 
thirty  years,  and  figures  as  one  of  the  most  active  mem- 
bers of  the  party.  I  am  uncommonly  well  and  com- 
fortable. Just  now  the  farmers  from  the  regions  round 
about  are  coming  in  with  music  and  banners;  they  are 
defiling  past  the  house  with  hurrahs.  It  is  the  same 
old  racket.     I  shall  speak  at  two  o'clock,  and  at  five 


216  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

drive  to  Meredosia,  sixteen  miles  from  here,  to  get  the 
Springfield  train.  Tomorrow  I  shall  be  with  Lincoln — 
in  "Abraham's  bosom."  So  far  my  activity  has  been 
accompanied  with  uncommon  success.  The  Germans 
almost  everywhere  after  my  speeches  have  come  over 
to  our  side  in  large  numbers.  .  .  . 

I  am  terribly  overrun  with  callers.  I  am  stealing 
the  minutes  for  this  letter.  Adieu  for  today.  I  hear 
music  again;  the  discouraging  Bum!  Bum!  and  in  a 
few  moments  I  shall  have  to  be  in  harness  once  more. 

To  His  Wife 

Belleville,  Illinois,  July  29,  1860 
I  wanted  to  write  yesterday,  but  you  have  no  idea 
of  the  turmoil  in  which  I  live.  I  have  scarcely  a  minute 
to  myself.  With  the  greatest  difficulty  I  have  written 
two-thirds  of  my  St.  Louis  speech,  and  hope  that  to- 
morrow, Sunday,  I  may  be  able  to  do  the  balance.  But 
I  shall  have  to  lock  myself  in.  It  will  be  the  greatest 
speech  of  my  life,  and  I  know  you  will  not  be  angry 
if  my  letters  are  somewhat  briefer  and  my  speech  on 
that  account  somewhat  better.  So  I  am  using  every 
free  moment  for  work. 

Yesterday  I  went  to  see  Hecker.  He  is  just  the 
same  as  ever.  .  .  . 

Today  a  great  demonstration  takes  place  here;  the 
whole  town  is  already  bedecked  with  banners  and 
wreaths.  Hecker  will  be  here  and  will  speak  along  with 
me.  The  enthusiasm  has  everywhere  risen  to  fever  heat. 
My  success  was  at  all  points  brilliant.  The  Germans 
are  coming  over  by  hundreds  and  thousands.  If  it  goes 
everywhere  as  in  Egypt,   where  in   1856  there  were 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  217 

hardly  any  Republican  votes,  then  Lincoln's  election  is 
unavoidable.  .  .  . 

Oh,  dear!  The  cannon  are  thundering  again,  the 
drums  rattle,  the  marshals  are  galloping  past  my  win- 
dow. The  thirty-four  maidens  in  white  are  also  on 
hand.    Here  is  the  deputation  to  fetch  me. 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  July  31,  1860 
Last  night  I  came  on  to  this  place.  Tonight  I 
speak  German,  tomorrow  English.  Oh,  my!  I  am 
working  like  a  horse.  My  speech  is  not  yet  finished.  I 
am  just  laboring  over  the  fireworks  in  my  peroration, 
but  there  I  stick  and  perspire.  So  far  as  it  is  completed 
I  believe  it  to  be  my  masterpiece.  If  I  could  only  get 
the  right  peroration !  I  should  like  to  write  you  a  great 
deal  but  cannot  do  it.  I  sit  as  if  on  revolving  wheels; 
the  time  for  delivering  the  speech  draws  near,  and  clos- 
ing thoughts  worthy  of  the  speech  fail  to  come.  I  know 
that  all  of  a  sudden  they  will  be  here.  .  .  .  Everything 
goes  wonderfully;  the  victory  will  unquestionably  be 
ours.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Terre  Haute,  August  15,  1860 
I  have  been  under  a  severe  strain  these  days,  but  my 
successes  have  been  splendid.  Day  before  yesterday  I 
came  to  Lafayette,  where  they  had  made  great  prepara- 
tion for  my  reception,  and  that  without  distinction  of 
party.  At  the  station  I  was  handed  a  bouquet  by  one 
of  the  leaders  of  the  German  Democrats  which  bore  this 


218  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

card:  "To  the  patriot  Carl  Schurz  from  the  German 
Democrats  of  Lafayette."  That  was  nice,  wasn't  it? 
It  shows  that  men  are  not  everywhere  bad.  Then  fol- 
lowed a  series  of  welcoming  speeches,  bouquets  from  the 
"Ladies  of  Lafayette,"  a  very  crowded  meeting,  and 
lastly,  a  complimentary  supper  with  torchlight  proces- 
sion and  serenade.  Well,  I  just  escaped  with  my  life, 
but  I  dare  say  I  have  made  a  great  many  Republicans. 

Yesterday  I  spoke  here  with  equally  good  success. 
But  I  will  not  tire  you  with  descriptions.  Today  is  a 
free  day  which  I  shall  conscientiously  devote  to  rest. 
As  soon  as  the  mail  is  gone  I  shall  refresh  myself  by  con- 
tinuing to  work  on  my  Douglas  speech.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Terre  Haute,  August  16,  1860 
My  train  leaves  for  Vincennes  in  half  an  hour  and 
I  have  just  time  to  write  to  you.  Yesterday  I  had  a 
quiet  day  and  enjoyed  the  rest  profoundly.  How  beau- 
tifully I  slept,  how  gloriously  I  dreamed,  and  I  wrote 
only  so  much  as  I  cared  to  write.  My  Douglas  speech 
is  coming  along;  if  I  had  two  free  days  it  would  be 
finished.  It  is  going  to  be  a  fine  specimen,  in  which 
people  are  going  to  take  pride.  Terre  Haute  is  the 
first  place  where  I  have  been  treated  with  genuine  con- 
sideration. Last  night  the  Wide-Awakes  organized 
to  give  me  a  special  torchlight  procession  and  make  me 
speak.  I  sent  word  that  I  would  rather  be  left  in  quiet, 
and  the  people  were  sensible  enough  to  do  it.  So  yester- 
day I  lived  a  godly  life.  I  bowled  almost  an  hour  with 
my  German  brothers.  I  am  quite  as  good  at  it  as  I  used 
to  be.    You  see,  I  am  as  cheerful  as  a  fish  in  water  and 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  219 

go  at  the  work  again  with  genuine  enthusiasm.  We 
have  made  tremendous  gains  here.  A  considerable 
number  of  German  Democrats  yesterday  announced 
their  change  of  party.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Pittsburg,,  Pennsylvania 
September  10,  1860 
At  last  the  bad  men  have  left  me  for  a  moment  and 
I  can  tell  you  my  experiences.  I  would  have  written 
yesterday  but  feared  to  cause  you  unnecessary  anxiety. 
You  will  have  received  my  letter  from  Detroit.  Satur- 
day morning  I  thought  to  go  to  Cleveland  by  steamboat 
and  then  take  the  evening  train  to  Pittsburg— which 
would  have  been  the  most  agreeable  journey  for  me. 
We  left  Detroit  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  and 
after  luncheon  I  lay  down  to  catch  up  on  the  sleep  I 
had  lost  during  the  night  in  the  hotel,  where  I  was  nearly 
eaten  up  by  mosquitoes.  The  water  was  a  bit  unquiet 
when  I  lay  down,  and  the  wind  was  blowing  pretty 
strong.  But  being  a  born  seaman  I  went  to  sleep  peace- 
fully, and  on  waking  up  after  several  hours  and  going 
out  to  see  how  far  it  still  was  to  Cleveland  I  learned  to 
my  great  astonishment  that  we  had  put  about  and  were 
steering  for  Detroit  again.  The  captain  had  found  the 
storm  so  terrific  that  he  did  not  dare  to  proceed  farther 
into  the  lake.  So  he  prudently  turned  back.  You  can 
imagine  how  vexed  I  was.  Had  we  reached  Detroit  at 
the  right  time  I  believe  that,  in  my  vexation,  I  should 
have  taken  the  Milwaukee  train  in  order  to  be  there  at 
the  Seward  meeting  and  to  take  you  with  me.  But  it 
was  too  late.     I  therefore  had  to  remain  on  the  boat, 


220  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

where  much  out  of  sorts  I  went  to  sleep.  Next  morning 
the  captain  approached  very  respectfully,  hat  in  hand, 
and  requested  a  few  words  with  me  in  private.  He  said 
he  had  just  learned  who  I  was,  and  excused  himself 
copiously  for  not  knowing  at  once.  He  then  returned 
my  passage  money,  saying  he  considered  it  an  honor 
to  have  me  on  board;  he  would  never  accept  pay  for 
such  an  honor.  "Well!"  thought  I.  He  then  prepared 
for  me  his  own  cabin — a  charming,  elegant  room, — 
called  the  stewards  together,  and  gave  orders  that  what- 
ever this  gentleman  might  wish  must  instantly  be  done. 
So  I  was  lord  on  the  vessel  and  enjoyed  it  pretty  well. 
My  anger  subsided  and  I  worked  the  whole  day  on  my 
speech,  which  I  already  have  largely  by  heart. 

But  toward  evening  word  was  passed  around  that 
I  was  on  board  and  then,  pasha-like,  I  had  a  reception 
in  my  cabin.  We  set  out  about  seven  o'clock,  and  this 
morning  I  awoke,  after  a  splendid  night's  sleep,  in 
Cleveland.  The  other  passengers  had  long  since  left 
the  boat,  but  the  captain  had  given  orders  that  I  was 
not  to  be  disturbed.  A  fine  breakfast  awaited  me,  a 
steward  was  detailed  to  carry  my  baggage,  and  I  went 
to  the  railway  after  the  captain  had  once  more  assured 
me  he  would  count  it  the  greatest  pleasure  to  entertain 
me  on  his  boat  again.  Fame  is  worth  something,  isn't 
it?  Fortunately  I  missed  no  appointment.  At  night 
I  spoke  here,  and  my  other  engagements  are  along  the 
railway  line.    So  far  all  is  well. 

Douglas  will  speak  in  New  York  on  the  twelfth, 
and  my  thunderbolt  will  just  strike  him.  That  is 
great.  .  .  . 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  221 

To  His  Wife 

New  York,  September  14,  1860 
Today  I  write  you  from  the  headquarters  of  the 
national  committee.  I  would  have  written  yesterday 
but  I  was  busy  with  my  speech  the  whole  day.  In  the 
morning  I  dictated  it  to  the  Tribune  stenographer  and 
in  the  afternoon  committed  as  much  of  it  as  was  neces- 
sary. Shall  I  say  that  I  had  some  stage  fright?  I  was 
somewhat  nervous  all  day,  wholly  absorbed  in  the 
thought  of  the  approaching  evening,  and  would  not  have 
been  able  to  write  to  you  in  that  frame  of  mind.  But  in 
the  evening  when  I  saw  the  immense  hall  filled  with 
thousands — so  filled  that  no  one  was  able  to  move — and 
when  at  my  entrance  during  another  speech  I  was 
greeted  with  resounding  applause,  then  was  "Richard 
himself  again"  and  I  felt  once  more  the  old  self-confi- 
dence. 

I  had  hardly  taken  my  place  when  a  letter  was 
handed  me.  It  was  yours,  and  I  took  it  as  a  good  omen. 
At  last  my  part  on  the  program  was  reached ;  I  was  re- 
ceived with  endless  cheering,  and  during  my  speech  was 
so  frequently  interrupted  by  applause  that  the  hand- 
clapping  consumed  nearly  as  much  time  as  the  speak- 
ing. I  have  never  spoken  so  brilliantly  as  last  night. 
The  tremendous  audience  seemed  as  if  electrified,  and 
as  I  closed  there  was  a  veritable  charge  toward  the  ros- 
trum. Thre  was  no  end  of  handshaking.  I  believe  it 
was  the  greatest,  most  sparkling  success  I  have  yet  had. 
I  spoke  more  than  two  hours  and  was  told  that  they  had 
never  seen  a  speaker  hold  so  great  an  audience  for  so 
long  a  time. 


222  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

To  His  Wife 

Philadelphia,  September  17,  1860 
.  .  .  You  will  have  heard  about  my  brilliant  suc- 
cess in  New  York,  partly  through  my  letter  and  partly 
through  the  newspapers  I  sent  you.  Saturday  I  spoke 
in  Easton  [Pa.]  to  a  splendid  audience  and  Sunday 
morning  Gopp  drove  me  to  Bethlehem,  whence  I  could 
take  the  train  to  Philadelphia.  I  had  several  hours  in 
Bethlehem  during  which  I  visited  the  places  where  we 
were  so  happy  together:  the  Yerkes'  house,  where  an- 
other now  lives — but  the  little  tree  in  the  garden  where 
our  little  Hans  [Agathe]  first  made  out  to  stand  on  her 
tender  little  legs,  is  still  there.  Then  I  went  to  the  old 
cemetery  where  we  had  dreamed  away  many  hours,  and 
sat  down  on  the  old  bench  by  the  old  graves  and  thought 
of  the  olden  time.  Then,  to  the  new  cemetery,  where  is 
the  lovely  esplanade  along  the  overhanging  cliff.  Here 
I  used  to  carry  Hans  up  and  down  the  steep  path  where 
I  practiced  pistol  shooting;  there  on  the  bench  we  read 
Bleak  House  and  Nicholas  Nickleby.  The  period  lies 
behind  me  like  a  remote  youthful  memory.  At  that  time 
the  man  in  me  was  dawning,  but  only  in  desire  and  un- 
certain presentiment.  I  sat  down  on  one  of  the  familiar 
benches  and  read  over  the  proof-sheets  of  the  pamphlet 
edition  of  my  New  York  speech.  What  a  change!  I 
may  say  that  in  those  days  I  neither  thought  nor  said 
anything  about  myself  which  has  not  materialized.  I 
have  kept  the  faith  which  in  my  inner  being  I  pledged 
to  the  world. 

Yet  I  often  yearn  to  relive  those  Bethlehem  days. 
Be  patient.  This  strife  also  will  come  to  an  end  and  we 
shall  have  peaceful  years,  years  such  as  we  once  had  of 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  223 

quiet,  innocent  pleasure.  Why  should  not  the  mature, 
action-strengthened  man  enjoy  these  things  just  as 
much?  I  am  now  in  the  fullness  of  my  power  which, 
undiminished,  unwasted,  blossoms  and  brings  forth 
fruit.  The  period  of  action  is  come.  Let  me  act,  and 
peace  will  come  to  us  as  a  reward  for  the  fulfillment  of 
duty.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Chambersburgh  [Pennsylvania] 
September  21,  1860 

...  I  have  had  hard  days.  Naturally,  at  every 
place  there  is  a  tempestuous  demand  that  in  addition  to 
my  German  speech  I  should  give  an  English  one — which 
I  of  course  always  decline  to  do.  But  I  have  the  same 
struggle  to  go  through  with  every  day. 

The  gathering  in  Philadelphia  was  a  distinguished 
one  and  I  spoke  in  my  best  vein.  The  gathering  in 
Reading  contained  nearly  six  thousand,  and  they  say 
that  through  my  speech  several  hundred  votes  were 
gained.  The  demonstration  in  Lancaster  was  magnifi- 
cent— thirty  thousand  people — tremendous  enthusiasm. 
Today  I  go  to  Carlisle.     .  .  . 

Yesterday  I  received  a  telegram  from  Indiana  which 
begged  me,  in  God's  name,  to  devote  to  that  state  every 
day  up  to  the  state  election  on  October  9.  .  .  . 

Now  is  the  crisis  of  the  campaign.  The  Democrats 
are  putting  forth  their  final  efforts  in  the  state  elections 
of  Indiana  and  Pennsylvania,  and  it  is  necessary  that 
we  put  forth  all  our  power.  The  situation  is  good.  The 
victory  is  sure  if  everyone  does  his  duty.  .  .  . 


224  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

To  His  Wife 

Philadelphia,  September  24,  1860 
...  I  have  appointments  in  Indiana  for  the  twenty- 
eighth  and  twenty-ninth.  We  have  come  to  the  crisis  of 
the  campaign.  I  have  scored  triumph  after  triumph 
and  achieved  almost  superhuman  results.  Yet  a  few 
days'  labor,  a  brief  effort  in  Pennsylvania  and  Indiana, 
then  a  successful  state  election  on  October  9  in  both  of 
these  states — and  the  battle  will  be  decided.  Being  so 
near  the  goal  it  would  be  sinful  for  me  to  spare  any  ef- 
fort. I  am  standing  in  the  very  thick  of  the  fight.  The 
blows  I  delivered  in  several  places  were  glorious.  Every 
day  I  speak  more  effectively  and  my  power  grows  with 
the  heat  of  the  struggle.  The  old  Pennsylvania  Dutch, 
who  only  half  understand  me,  run  after  me  like  chil- 
dren. The  Democrats  are  beside  themselves,  and  wher- 
ever I  have  spoken  they  telegraph  like  mad  in  all  direc- 
tions for  German  speakers  to  neutralize  my  efforts. 
But  it  is  all  in  vain.  The  Democratic  newspapers  have 
berated  me  wildly,  with  the  result  that  even  German 
Democrats  become  angry  and  everybody  is  eager  to 
hear  me.  So  all  my  meetings  are  crowded  and  I  drive 
everything  before  me.  I  have  become  as  much  the 
subject  of  newspaper  discussion  as  if  I  were  myself  a 
presidential  candidate.  My  printed  speeches  are  being 
distributed  all  over  the  country  by  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands and  are  being  called  for  more  and  more.  I  feel 
better  than  ever  in  this  turmoil.  It  seems  as  if  victory 
could  not  fail  us  and,  by  Jove,  I  have  done  my  share 
towards  it.  .  .  .  You  have  been  anxious  about  my  suc- 
cess in  New  York;  you  might  have  imagined  that  the 
rapturous  inspiration  of  the  moment  would  have  carried 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  225 

me  through.  On  October  18  I  shall  speak  to  the  Ger- 
mans there  and  will  work  out  a  speech  for  the  occasion. 
On  this  I  am  going  to  do  my  best  and  exceed  everything 
I  have  so  far  done  in  German.  You  distress  yourself 
over  the  insults  of  the  Weltbilrger.^  Let  the  little  curs 
bark.  Were  you  here  you  would  feel  that  they  are  quite 
too  far  beneath  me.  Now  adieu  for  today.  I  am  sorry 
that  you  are  not  here,  sorrier  still  that  our  reunion  has 
to  be  delayed.  But  this  is  the  last  fight;  I  almost  feel 
as  if  I  could  say:  "This  is  my  fight;  when  it  is  finished 
there  will  be  rest.".  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Indianapolis,  October  2,  1860 
...  I  am  so  tired  of  this  work,  with  all  its  noise  and 
show,  that  I  should  like  to  throw  up  everything  and  go 
home.  But  when  I  reflect  that  on  the  decisive  day  we 
might  fail  by  just  a  few  votes,  and  that  with  a  little 
more  effort  I  might  have  added  what  was  necessary; 
that  in  the  end  I  should  have  to  confront  myself  with  the 
dire  question:  Why  did  you  not  do  this  thing  more 
since  you  might  have  done  it? — how  terrible  that  would 
be  not  to  me  alone  but  also  to  you !  Is  it  not  true  ?  And 
when  I  consider  the  efforts  I  am  making  I  find  that  they 
tire  me  very  much  less  than  others.  I  am  often  very 
tired,  but  a  night's  sleep  brings  me  out  again  as  bright 
as  a  lark.  Everybody  else  around  me  was  exhausted — 
Curtin,  Corwin,  Blair,  etc.  Their  voices  sounded  like 
cracked  kettles,  and  mine  still  showed  the  old  metal 
unchanged.  My  lungs  feel  sound  and  light  as  ever. 
Indeed,  they  seem  to  have  acquired  new  power.     INTor 

54  A  Democratic  German  newspaper  in  Watertown. 


226  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

does  my  throat  suffer.  I  was  hoarse  only  once.  That 
was  in  Reading  after  I  had  spoken  to  a  gathering  of 
old  Pennsylvania  farmers.  It  was  a  mass  meeting  of 
from  five  to  six  thousand.  But  it  [the  hoarseness]  left 
me  the  following  day  and  since  then  I  have  felt  no  in- 
convenience. .  .  .  You  see  there  is  no  call  for  anxiety 
about  me.  My  triumph  in  New  York  was  colossal,  was 
it  not?  The  rejoicing  over  it  is  tremendous;  the  speech 
is  spreading  all  over  the  country  like  a  prairie  fire. 

A  few  days  ago  the  New  York  Tribune  printed 
some  correspondence  about  a  conversation  someone 
had  with  Lincoln.  The  talk  touched  upon  the  party 
campaigners  and  their  achievements.  And  Lincoln,  so 
it  was  said,  "named  Carl  Schurz  as  foremost  of  all." 
You  see  now  that  Old  Abe  remembers  me.  The  article 
in  the  Freie  Presse,  of  which  you  write,  is  by  one  of 
my  most  enthusiastic  admirers,  Dr.  Hering,  as  the 
opening  indicates.  .  .  . 

My  dearest,  a  few  days  more  and  I  shall  be  with 
you,  strong  and  well  as  ever  and  with  a  light  heart ;  for 
I  shall  bring  with  me  the  consciousness  of  having  done 
my  full  duty.  Whatever  may  happen,  that  will  remain 
— and  it  is  worth  while.  My  last  appointment  here  is 
next  Monday,  and  on  Tuesday  evening  I  shall  be  with 
you.  Just  a  little  more  patience,  a  little  more  cheer, 
and  then  "Hail  to  thee  in  victor's  crown!" 

To  His  Wife 

Lawrenceburg,  Indiana,  October  4,  1860 
With  each  day  which  brings  my  departure  nearer 
my  heart  grows  lighter,  and  I  count  the  hours  with 
conscientious  care.    Last  night  I  spoke  here  to  a  great 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  227 

gathering ;  tomorrow  night  I  shall  speak  four  miles  from 
here.  ...  In  any  event  I  shall  be  with  you  Tuesday 
evening.  Hallelujah!  Thereafter  we  shall  travel  to- 
gether. .  .  . 

Oh,  how  glad  I  am  that  this  business  will  soon  be 
over,  and  how  I  shall  leap  like  a  hart  if  the  work  bring 
its  blessing!  Yesterday  I  wrote  to  Rublee  about  my 
appointments  in  Wisconsin.  You  write  that  people  are 
angry  because  I  have  as  yet  done  nothing  in  my  own 
state.  They  have  no  right  to  be  angry.  Our  first  care 
must  be  to  win  for  Lincoln  the  doubtful  states.  That 
accomplished,  we  can,  if  we  must,  lose  a  Congressman. 
...  I  must  be  used  where  I  can  expect  to  make  many 
votes,  which  means  at  points  where  I  can  assemble  the 
largest  number  of  Germans. 

To  His  Wife 

Milwaukee,  October  25,  1860 
I  am  writing  you  in  great  haste.  The  train  is  about 
to  leave  for  Oshkosh.  I,  of  course,  arrived  here  in  good 
condition.  My  reception  was  the  grandest  affair  that 
has  ever  taken  place  in  the  state.  I  was  lodged  in  one 
of  the  finest  parlors  of  the  Newhall  House,  spoke  in  the 
afternoon,  and  in  the  evening  at  eight  the  torchlight 
procession  marched  by  me  at  the  Newhall  House,  which 
was  illuminated  from  top  to  bottom.  There  were  about 
three  thousand,  the  Milwaukee  Wide-A wakes  at  the 
head  with  a  new  banner  which  had  upon  one  side,  painted 
in  oil,  my  picture  and  on  the  other  side  a  sentence  out 
of  my  ratification  speech.  Then  came  the  citizens  of  all 
classes — Mitchell,  Crocker,  Tweedy,  and  all  the  first 
people  of  the  city,  carrying  torches  and  marching  in  the 


228  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

procession.  My  picture  and  selected  sentences  from  my 
speeches  frequently  appeared  on  transparencies.  In 
marching  by  the  Newhall  House  the  whole  tremendous 
column,  which  was  more  than  a  mile  and  a  half  long, 
fired  off  rockets  and  shouted  hurrahs.  The  affair  ended 
at  half  past  eleven.  It  was  the  greatest  demonstration 
Milwaukee  had  ever  seen  and  far  surpassed  the  Douglas 
procession. 

So  much  about  glory.  .  .  .  The  Wide- A  wakes  have 
suddenly  organized  in  Watertown  also.  Uncle  is  one 
of  them.  [Illegible].  .  .  They  are  one  hundred  and 
eighty  strong,  among  them  over  forty  Germans.  They 
propose  to  give  me  a  brilliant  reception  on  Wednesday 
of  next  week.  Day  is  suddenly  breaking  in  Water- 
town.  Douglas  made  Republican  votes  here  every- 
where.   The  prospects  everywhere  are  splendid. 

How  did  you  get  to  Philadelphia?  Write  me  fully 
about  everything.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Milwaukee,  October  29,  1860 
.  .  .  The  work  I  have  to  do  here  is  sheer  sport  in 
comparison  with  that  in  Pennsylvania  and  Indiana. 
They  are  making  it  as  convenient  for  me  as  possible, 
and  I  have  cancelled  all  appointments  which  are  in- 
convenient. .  .  . 

In  Watertown,  where  the  Wide- A  wakes  now  num- 
ber nearly  two  hundred,  they  have  invited  all  Wide- 
Awake  companies  for  the  purpose  of  giving  me  a  great 
reception.  At  the  first  Wide-Awake  demonstration 
there  they  had  a  fight.  The  Wide- A  wakes  were  at- 
tacked near  Rieber's  Saloon  by  the  Rothe  band,  where- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  229 

upon  they  formed  for  a  regular  attack,  raided  the  sa- 
loon, and  caught  Rothe,  who  begged  for  his  life,  was 
then  pardoned  and  dismissed.  Various  others  received 
serious  blows.  By  this  incident  the  Wide- Awakes  have 
won  great  respect,  and  since  then  nothing  more  has  been 
heard  about  any  kind  of  disturbance.  But  it  is  said  that 
even  the  Democrats — that  is,  the  decent  ones — were  so 
angered  by  the  conduct  of  their  fellows  that  many  of 
them  have  come  over  to  the  Republican  party.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

November  3,  1860 
Will  you  believe  that,  since  last  Monday,  I  have 
literally  not  been  able  to  find  a  minute  for  writing  a 
line  to  you?  It  really  is  true.  Monday  I  drove  to  Port 
Washington,  where  I  spoke  in  the  evening.  .  .  .  Tues- 
day I  spoke  in  Milwaukee  County  in  the  afternoon  and 
in  Watertown  at  night.  Rain  fell  in  torrents  and  the 
mud  was  knee-deep,  but  the  entire  depot  was  filled  with 
Wide- A  wakes  and  the  spectacle  was  tremendous.  Coles 
Hall  was  jammed  full,  and  the  whole  town  appeared  as 
though  transformed.  It  looked  as  if  the  Republicans 
were  in  the  ascendant.  A  couple  of  days  before  I  spoke, 
Senator  Gill,  Democratic  state  senator  and  president 
of  the  Douglas  clubs,  who  only  two  weeks  ago  intro- 
duced Douglas  to  the  audience  in  Watertown  as  the 
"greatest  living  statesman,"  came  out  for  Lincoln  and 
went  over  to  the  Republican  party.  He  spoke  at  my 
meeting  amid  great  cheering.  .  .  . 

Yesterday  morning  I  returned  from  Watertown  and 
spoke  here  in  the  county.  The  carriage  now  stands  be- 
fore the  door  to  take  me  on  a  new  expedition.     Thus 


230  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

has  every  minute  of  my  time  been  claimed  and  I  hardly 
know  what  I  am  about.  The  speaking  is  the  least  of  it. 
It  is  as  if,  in  the  hour  preceding  the  battle,  the  general 
staff  rides  along  the  front  directing  a  few  encouraging 
words  to  the  troops.  The  chief  thing  is  the  driving.  It 
demands  more  time  than  strength.  I  am  perfectly  well 
and  strong.  .  .  . 

Two  more  working  days  and  the  contest  will  be 
over.  Hosanna!  I  shall  then  be  able  to  think  once 
more;  be  able  to  reflect  that  I  do  not  belong  solely  to 
the  great  cause.  I  shall  instantly  set  my  lecture  en- 
gagements in  order  and,  as  soon  as  possible,  hurry  to 
you.  .  .  .  Pardon  this  foolish  letter,  I  write  in  extreme 
haste.  Potter  stands  beside  me,  whip  in  hand — not  for 
me,  but  for  our  carriage  horses.  The  trumpet  sounds; 
again  to  the  field  of  battle. 

To  His  Wife 

Milwaukee.,  November  7,  1860 
The  election  is  over,  the  battle  is  fought,  the  victory 
is  won.  I  remained  in  the  city  in  order  to  work  at  the 
polls  to  the  last  minute.  The  day  preceding  the  election 
I  spoke  in  various  places  and  did  my  best.  The  cam- 
paign was  lively.  Both  sides  took  every  precaution. 
When  the  voting  was  concluded  we  gathered  in  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  at  Spring  Street  bridge  to  re- 
ceive the  telegraphic  reports.  The  hall  was  crowded. 
As  the  dispatches  arrived  the  excitement  mounted;  and 
when  Lincoln's  majority  appeared  ever  to  be  growing, 
the  cheering  was  tremendous.  Finally  came  New  York, 
the  actual  battle  ground  of  the  campaign.  Early  dis- 
patches spoke  of  a  majority  of  40,000  in  the  city  against 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  231 

us.  The  stillness  of  dread  among  the  Republicans !  Then 
the  telegrams  came,  stroke  after  stroke,  and  the  formid- 
able count  melted  away,  first  to  35,000,  then  28,000, 
and  finally  25,000.  Everyone  breathed  freely  once 
more.  Then,  like  a  veritable  hailstorm,  the  Republicans 
reported  majorities  from  the  western  portion  of  the 
state.  The  crowd  went  wild  with  shouts  and  cheering; 
hats  were  flying  to  the  ceiling,  against  the  walls,  and  to 
the  floor  as  if  they  were  worth  nothing  at  all.  Finally 
at  about  two  o'clock  the  telegraph  announced:  "Ac- 
cording to  reports  received,  New  York  is  good  for  a 
majority  of  50,000."  The  cannon  was  now  dragged  out 
and  we  woke  up  the  Democrats,  they  having  withdrawn 
from  the  streets  pretty  early  in  the  evening.  And  when 
the  first  boom  of  the  cannon  announced  that  the  great 
work  was  finished,  the  great  victory  won,  nothing  was 
lacking  save  that  in  this  auspicious  moment  I  should 
have  had  you  with  me.  The  victory  belongs  to  you  also, 
and  I  have  not  been  able  to  separate  my  enjoyment  of 
it  from  the  thought  of  you.  Now,  now  the  time  of  trial 
is  over.  Love,  peace,  family,  happiness!  The  future 
threatens  no  further  separation.  I  shall  proceed  at 
once  to  get  my  lectures  ready,  and  as  soon  as  this  work 
is  finished  I  shall  take  the  train.  A  half-dozen  letters 
are  still  out  which  will  bring  certainty  regarding  the 
dates  of  my  engagements.  When  these  come  nothing 
will  delay  me  further.  This  afternoon  I  go  to  Water- 
town  to  remain  till  next  week  Tuesday  or  Wednesday. 
I  am  much  wearied  and  require  several  days'  "vegetable- 
sleep." 

I  shall  write  promptly  from  Watertown.     I   am 
happy  in  the  thought  of  the  future.    We  are  to  be  one 


232  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

again,  and  unless  I  am  greatly  deceived  we  shall  bring 
back  a  part  of  the  old  idyllic  life. 

To  His  Wife 

Watertown,  November  10,  1860 
.  .  .  This  week  I  shall  spend  one  or  two  days  in 
Milwaukee  to  attend  the  jubilation  meeting,  where  I 
shall  have  to  make  a  speech,55  and  to  hold  a  conference 
about  the  senatorial  election  with  Doolittle,  Potter,  and 
Judge  Howe.  It  seems  to  be  taken  for  granted  that 
my  voice  will  be  pretty  conclusive  in  determining  who 
is  to  be  Senator,  and  I  am  determined  that  Governor 
Randall  shall  not  be. 

The  South  appears  actually  to  want  to  kick  over 
the  traces,  and  it  will  require  all  the  discretion  the  Re- 
publican party  possesses  to  guide  the  ship  of  state  safely 
through  the  storm.  I  shall  speak  of  this  point  at  the 
ratification  meeting  and  I  expect  in  my  speech  to  lay 
down  several  leading  principles.  I  have  sketched  out 
the  speech  during  my  days  of  quiet  here  and  will  send 
it  to  you  as  soon  as  it  is  printed.  I  believe  there  is  no 
actual  danger.  A  calm  and  firm  attitude  on  the  part 
of  the  Republican  party  will  probably  suffice  to  lay  the 
storm,  and  in  the  extreme  case  a  mere  demonstration  of 
military  preparation  in  the  North  will  do  the  rest.  So, 
be  not  disquieted.  We  must  give  the  Southerners  time 
to  abate  their  passions.  If  we  give  the  disunionists  in 
the  South  rope  enough  to  hang  themselves,  they  will 
perform  that  necessary  and  praiseworthy  task  with 
their  own  hands.  .  .  . 

85  The  speech  was  printed  in  the  Sentinel  (daily)  of  November  20,  1860. 
It  contains  views  on  secession  which  are  similar  to  those  expressed  by 
Lincoln  in  the  first  inaugural. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  233 

To  His  Wife 

Aubu&n  [New  York],  December  5,  1860 
I  have  just  arrived  from  Moravia  [N.  Y.],  where 
I  lectured  yesterday.  There  is  a  passably  deep  snow 
and  I  made  the  journey  in  a  sled.  But  there  is  still  a 
difficult  problem  to  solve.  It  is  noon;  the  committee 
insists  that  this  evening  I  shall  give  the  lecture  on 
"American  Civilization,"  and  I  still  have  a  fourth  of  it 
to  write.  Shall  I  be  able  to  complete  it?  I  have  six 
hours  left,  meal  time  taken  out.  I  have  a  fine  room,  an 
attractive  writing-table,  and  am  in  good  spirits.  There- 
fore, to  work;  nothing  is  impossible  to  the  brave!  For 
this  reason  you  must  not  be  angry  if  today  I  write  you 
only  a  couple  of  crazy  lines.  My  head  is  full  and  there 
is  not  a  minute  to  lose.  ... 


56 


To  His  Wife 

Boston,  December  11,  1860 
I  finally  have  a  minute  in  which  to  write  you.  It  is 
late;  I  come  directly  from  my  lecture;  the  day's  work 
is  finished  and  I  can  write  you  without  interruption. 
Yesterday  I  received  your  letter  in  Albany  and  would 
have  answered  at  once  had  there  been  time.  When  I 
had  finished  my  lecture  on  "American  Civilization' '  (I 
gave  it  in  Auburn  and  the  success  was  remarkable),  I 
read  in  the  newspaper  that  a  revolutionist  gathering  in 
Boston  was  broken  up  by  a  band  of  Democrats  and  Bell- 
Everetts.  The  thought  came  to  me  that  a  lecture  on 
freedom  of  speech  would  be  very  timely.     Saturday  I 

M  Letter  originally  written  in  French.    This  translation  was  made  from 
the  German. 


234  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

began  the  work  and  today,  five  minutes  before  the  lec- 
ture, it  was  finished.  The  gathering  (Tremont  Temple 
was  quite  full)  received  me  with  much  applause  and  the 
thing  went  wonderfully.  Do  you  not  see  now  why  I 
had  no  time  to  write  you?  I  work  continuously,  paus- 
ing only  to  sleep  and  eat.  .  .  .  My  engagements  in- 
crease daily.  I  have  enough  to  keep  me  going  from 
the  twelfth  to  the  thirty-first  of  December,  and  from  the 
first  to  the  fourth  of  January.  .  .  .  (What  shall  I  do 
— give  up  my  engagements  and  the  money  I  could  earn 
and  come  to  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  or  assemble 
riches  for  wife  and  child  as  becomes  a  good  husband 
and  father?)  I  believe  it  would  be  better  to  postpone 
the  celebration  of  Christmas  until  after  our  return  home. 
It  is  very  sad  to  be  separated  at  such  a  time,  but  under 
the  circumstances  it  is  our  duty  to  submit  to  neces- 
sity. .  .  . 


To  His  Wife 

Boston,  December  12,  1860 
.  .  .  This  morning  I  received  two  letters  from 
Washington,  one  from  Potter  and  one  from  Kreissman. 
Both  say  I  can  have  any  position,  but  that  the  Sardinian 
mission  is  generally  regarded  as  suitable  and  that  I 
shall  very  certainly  receive  an  offer  of  it. 

My  lecture  of  last  night  is  in  the  papers.  God  be 
thanked,  I  have  now  put  behind  me  the  most  disagree- 
able intellectual  labor;  I  have  only  letters  to  write; 
however,  a  pile  of  these  lies  before  me.  .  .  . 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  235 

To  His  Wife 

Boston,  December  20,  1860 
...  I  have  received  letters  from  Washington  which 
indicate  that  the  compromise  is  very  improbable.  Wade's 
speech  defines  the  position  of  the  great  majority  of 
Republicans  there,  and  this  position  admits  of  no  humil- 
iating compromise.  Doolittle  writes  me  that  this  speech 
expresses  the  spirit  which  reigns  universally  among  our 
friends  there,  and  nothing  could  be  more  satisfactory. 
It  seems,  therefore,  that  this  cup  is  destined  to  pass  us 

by 

My  lectures  and  the  journeys  I  have  to  make  require 
almost  my  entire  time  and  keep  me  moving  constantly. 
But  it  pays,  and  for  that  reason  the  effort  does  not 
bother  me.  I  have  altogether  twenty  appointments  in 
New  England,  and  I  was  obliged  to  decline  several  in- 
vitations because  I  could  not  find  the  time  to  fill  them. 
When  I  get  through  here  I  have  seven  or  eight  in  the 
state  of  New  York.  .  .  . 

These  will  keep  me  there  probably  until  the  four- 
teenth or  fifteenth  of  January.  I  am  sorry  not  to  be 
with  you  Christmas  Eve,  but  how  can  it  be  helped? 
The  consciousness  of  working  for  you  will  have  to  be 
my  Christmas  cheer  this  time. 


To  His  Wife 

Boston,  December  24,  1860 
It  is  Christmas  Eve  and  I  sit  here  lonesome  and 

alone  with  my  thoughts.  .  .  . 

Yesterday  and  today  I  rested  and  tomorrow  I  shall 

get  to  work  again.    I  can  tell  you  with  great  pleasure 


236  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

that  the  danger  of  the  degradation  of  the  Republican 
party  is  less  than  ever.  Lincoln  himself  stands  firm  as 
an  oak,  and  his  determination  is  imparted  to  the  timor- 
ous members  of  the  party.  The  letters  I  receive  from 
Washington  (and  my  correspondence  with  my  friends 
there  is  very  lively)  have  in  recent  days  been  full  of  the 
most  encouraging  reports.  The  spirit  of  our  people 
seems  to  rise  in  the  same  degree  in  which  the  embarrass- 
ment of  our  opponents  increases.  So  far  as  my  oppor- 
tunities have  permitted,  I  have  fired  my  charges  into  the 
situation  vigorously  from  a  distance,  and  almost  daily 
I  send  over  my  views  and  suggestions  about  what  ought 
to  be  done.  It  seems  as  if  matters  in  Congress  would  go 
well.  One  thing,  however,  has  become  practically  cer- 
tain: there  will  be  a  struggle  between  the  North  and 
the  South  whose  duration  will  depend  upon  the  determi- 
nation with  which  it  is  conducted;  that  is  to  say,  the 
more  vigorously  the  North  attacks,  the  shorter  will  be 
the  crisis.  It  is  a  time  for  men  of  decision  and  resource, 
and  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  your  husband  would  be 
called  into  service  again.  .  .  . 

I  shall  hardly  carry  the  sword  again,  but  it  is  very 
possible  that  I  may  be  active  about  organization  and 
such  like  in  connection  with  the  preparations  for  this 
decisive  struggle.  As  soon  as  matters  are  ripe  for  it,  I 
will  send  to  the  various  Republican  governors  a  plan 
of  organization  which  I  sketched  out  during  the  last 
few  days. 

We  are  living  at  a  great  time  and  we  should  not  be 
smaller  than  the  requirements  which  the  time  makes  on 
us.  If  things  do  not  deceive  me,  the  end  of  the  political 
slave  power  draws  near.  The  Republican  party  needs 
only  to  understand  its  might  in  order  to  carry  through 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  237 

with  one  single  stroke  a  reform  which  will  be  among  the 
most  notable  of  our  day.  Why  cannot  I  be  in  Congress 
at  this  time  ?  I  could  say  things  there  which  would  make 
our  fearsome  brethren  shake  their  heads.  And  by  the 
way,  I  am  not  so  far  removed  from  Congress  as  people 
think.  I  am  just  now  engaged  in  working  out  a  speech 
which  is  to  be  delivered  by  a  Representative  in  Con- 
gress. Is  that  not  lovely?  If  I  cannot  be  there  in  per- 
son, my  speeches  nevertheless  make  themselves  heard 
there.  I  have  already  noticed  traces  of  the  letters  I 
have  sent  thither. 

To  His  Wife 

Boston,  December  27,  1860 
.  .  .  The  reports  from  Washington  are  excellent  as 
respects  the  firmness  of  our  men.  Lincoln  has  sent 
letters  which  have  given  a  new  spirit  to  even  the  most 
timorous.  "Old  Abe"  so  far  is  splendid,  and  it  would 
not  surprise  me  if  his  administration  were  to  determine 
the  future  development  of  the  Republic.  The  Seces- 
sionists are  proceeding  further  and  further  down  their 
mad  path,  and  it  almost  seems  as  if  plans  were  being  de- 
veloped in  the  South  which  must  soon  lead  to  a  direct 
conflict. 

The  Secessionists  are  trying  to  draw  Virginia  and 
Maryland  into  the  movement.  Should  that  be  accom- 
plished, their  next  step  will  be  to  seize  Washington, 
which  is  chinked  in  between  Virginia  and  Maryland. 
Since  this  would  take  place  during  Buchanan's  admin- 
istration, or  on  the  fourth  of  March,  should  the  plan  be 
carried  into  effect  military  measures  will  have  to  be 
taken  not  only  to  carry  out  the  policy  of  the  next  ad- 


238  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

ministration  but  also,  in  advance,  to  secure  for  Lin- 
coln the  privilege  of  entering  upon  his  office.  This 
whole  complication,  in  my  opinion,  can  be  avoided  only 
if  the  northern  states  arm  as  quickly  as  possible  and 
show  their  determination  to  maintain  the  government 
by  force  of  arms  and  at  every  cost.  Such  preparations 
and  a  practical  proof  of  such  a  determination  appear  to 
me  the  only  things  through  which  the  southern  despera- 
does can  be  frightened  away  from  their  object.  These 
people  rely  upon  their  theory  that  the  Northerners  have 
no  desire  to  fight.  Therein  they  are  mistaken.  As  our 
representatives  in  Washington  become  bolder  the  fight- 
ing spirit  among  the  people  rises.  In  whatever  manner 
the  war  may  break  out  I  am  convinced  that  it  will  not 
last  long.  The  helpless  situation  of  the  South  will 
quickly  be  apparent,  and  contingent  slave  uprisings, 
which  are  not  outside  the  range  of  possibility,  would  all 
the  more  bring  the  business  to  a  swift  close.  This  morn- 
ing I  saw  Senator  Wilson,  who  was  in  complete  agree- 
ment with  my  views.  I  am  writing  today  to  Lincoln  to 
lay  before  him  the  basic  ideas  of  a  plan  for  arming  the 
free  states. 

You  see  what  kind  of  things  occupies  my  innermost 
mind,  and  I  must  say  that  often,  when  I  am  giving  a 
lecture,  I  am  thinking  of  things  quite  other  than  those 
of  the  immediate  lecture.  This  makes  the  lecture  busi- 
ness quite  distasteful  to  me.  But  what  is  the  use  ?  Money 
has  to  be  forthcoming  and  so  I  must  stay  at  my  post. 
For  the  life  of  me,  I  should  love  to  spend  a  few  days  in 
Washington,  but  it  cannot  be  done.  On  the  other  hand, 
I  am  also  restless  about  getting  home,  but  my  conscience 
forbids  me  to  give  up  any  appointment.  I  do  not  yet 
have  the  list  of  my  engagements  in  the  state  of  New 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  239 

York;  they  will  probably  keep  me  every  day  up  to  the 
fifteenth  of  January.  .  .  .  The  owners  of  the  Atlantic 
Monthly  recently  asked  me  to  see  them.  I  went  and 
they  asked  me  to  write  for  that  publication  at  five  to 
eight  dollars  per  page.  That  will  be  a  nice  thing  when 
I  settle  down  quietly  once  more.  .  .  .  They  advise  me, 
for  the  time  being,  not  to  publish  my  volume  of  speeches 
because  there  is  at  present  no  sale  for  books.  .  .  . 


57 


To  His  Wife 

Toledo,  January  29,  1861 
The  dangers  of  the  railway,  the  unpleasantnesses  of 
a  night  journey,  have  been  overcome  and  I  am  installed 
in  a  fine  room  of  a  well  conducted  hotel.  An  excellent 
breakfast  is  on  the  table  before  me  and  my  only  regret 
is  that  I  have  to  eat  it  alone.  However,  I  hope  that  I 
may  not  be  discovered  by  my  friends  before  two  or  three 
o'clock  this  afternoon.  The  only  persons  who  have 
recognized  me  thus  far  are,  first,  the  landlord;  second, 
the  darkey  who  brought  my  breakfast  and  who  claims 
to  have  read  my  Douglas  speech;  and  third,  the  barber 
who  saw  me  pass  his  shop  and  who  was  charmed  to  see 
me  here.  The  aforesaid  darkey  proffered  me  his  pro- 
tection, and  when  I  told  him  I  would  be  glad  to  be  left 
undisturbed  during  the  early  part  of  the  day,  he  gave 
me  the  most  patronizing  assurance  that  he  would  see  to 
it.  I  should  comport  myself  wholly  at  my  own  discre- 
tion. Everyone  who  might  be  inclined  to  disturb  me 
would  have  to  see  him !  Accordingly,  I  sit  down  to  write 
with  a  feeling  of  the  utmost  security. 

87  See  note  56. 


240  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

In  a  newspaper  of  this  day  which  my  darkey  brought 
me  I  read  that  Lincoln  had  declared  in  private  conver- 
sation he  would  rather  die  than  purchase  the  presidency 
at  the  cost  of  the  surrender  of  a  single  plank  of  the 
Chicago  platform;  because  every  concession  on  the  part 
of  the  Republican  party  in  this  respect  would  tend  to  the 
ruin  of  the  government,  the  beginnings  of  anarchy  such 
as  prevails  in  Mexico,  and  would  imply  a  retreat  of  the 
conquerors  before  the  conquered.  Of  such  cowardice 
he  would  not  be  guilty. 

If  the  report  is  true,  and  I  do  not  doubt  it,  our 
victory  is  assured  and  the  great  struggle  between  slav- 
ery and  freedom  is  finally  decided.  Glory  to  him! 
(Long  live  Lincoln!)  We  live  in  a  wonderful  time.  It 
is  not  merely  an  age  of  the  adventurer  and  upstart  whom 
cleverness  and  favoring  circumstances  have  raised  up ;  it 
is  likewise  the  age  of  conscience-ruled  men  who  domi- 
nate affairs  by  the  force  of  honesty  and  shatter  all 
opposing  obstacles.  I  often  regret  that  I  was  too  young 
in  1848  to  take  a  leading  or  even  official  part  in  affairs. 
But  now  I  thank  fate  that  I  am  precisely  at  the  right 
age  at  a  time  when  in  Europe  Garibaldi  comes  forth 
as  knight  errant,  fighting  for  an  ideal;  Garibaldi,  man 
of  unshakable  faith  and  determined  will — a  man  who 
has  achieved  greatness  against  forces  that  measured 
their  development  by  centuries.  And  if  now,  in  Amer- 
ica, the  rise  of  a  tyrannical  party  and  the  lawless  at- 
tempts of  an  antisocial  element  break  down  under  the 
honest  will-power  of  a  simple  man  [Lincoln],  is  it  not 
a  proper  ambition  to  want  to  be  worthy  of  such  a  time? 
Is  it  not  worth  sacrificing  peace  and  comfort  to  perform 
the  duties  which  such  a  situation  lays  upon  one?  To  be 
compelled  to  live  in  a  petty  age  and  expend  one's  ener- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  241 

gies  upon  trifling  matters  is  but  a  sad  fate.  But  if,  liv- 
ing in  a  great  age,  in  the  midst  of  mighty  problems,  one 
yet  disregards  the  exalted  objects  because  of  petty  aims 
and  desires,  would  he  not  be  a  thousand  times  more  piti- 
ful creature?  Whatever  comes  to  you  and  me,  we  shall 
at  least  live  upon  the  heights  of  the  time,  shall  we  not  ? 

I  understand  your  plaint.  I  too  regret  very  often 
that  the  necessity  is  so  grim.  But  I  know  that  your  soul, 
like  my  own,  responds  to  the  call  of  high  duty  and  that 
the  heroism  of  your  nature  will  lift  you  above  all  lower 
duties  when  the  higher  duty  calls. 

I  trust  you  much  more  than  you  trust  yourself.  For- 
give me  for  writing  merely  of  serious  matters  today. 
The  news  of  this  morning  gripped  me  powerfully.  I 
had  to  speak  of  it. 


58 


To  His  Wife 

Sandusky,  January  31,  1861 
.  .  .  You  see,  I  am  traveling  in  comfort  and  do  not 
get  too  tired.  All  the  same,  it  is  no  pleasure  to  repeat 
a  thousand  times  things  which  have  been  said  about 
France  or  about  American  civilization,  particularly  at 
a  time  when  the  whole  world  is  excited  and  great  deci- 
sions for  the  future  are  preparing;  and  when  a  main 
issue  may  perhaps  depend  upon  the  occurrences  of  a 
single  hour.  It  is  hard  for  a  fiery  soul  and  an  active 
mind  to  be  condemned  to  think  of  earning  money  when 
he  might  be  acting  publicly  in  the  general  interest. 
Still,  we  have  to  yield  to  necessity. 

In  my  last  letter  I  spoke  of  the  firmness  and  trust- 
worthiness of  Lincoln.     Today  I  shall  tell  you  some- 

58  See  note  56. 


242  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

thing  which  will  not  please  you.  You  recall  that  Cas- 
sius  M.  Clay  requested  me  to  write  a  letter  to  Lincoln 
in  furtherance  of  his  ambition  for  a  cabinet  post.  The 
reason  he  gave  me  for  it  was  the  absolute  need  in  that 
body  of  a  firm  and  energetic  man  to  save  the  Republi- 
can interests  from  the  disturbance  of  the  equilibrium 
through  compromise.  This  morning  I  read  in  the  Trib- 
une a  speech  of  Cassius  M.  Clay  delivered  in  Washing- 
ton a  few  days  ago.  Therein  he  advised  the  Republican 
party  to  make  concessions  to  the  South,  etc.!  My  as- 
tonishment was  boundless.  But  the  speech  was  there 
and  we  can  no  longer  have  the  slightest  doubt  about 
his  backsliding.  What  say  you  to  that?  It  will  not  be 
long  until  I  shall  be  able  to  believe  in  no  one  but  myself ! 

To  His  Wife 

Hillsdale,  Michigan,  February  4,  1861 
This  morning  I  left  Oberlin  and  reached  here  be- 
tween three  and  four  o'clock.  .  .  . 

I  spent  Sunday  in  the  family  of  a  pious  doctor  where 
they  cook  no  midday  meal  on  the  Sabbath.  Think  what 
a  situation  that  placed  me  in!  At  breakfast  no  meat, 
at  midday  none,  and  at  evening  none.  I  will  gladly  be 
pious,  but  I  am  not  wild  about  traveling  on  an  empty 
stomach.  But  your  poor  husband  has  survived  even 
this,  and  he  ate  this  noon  in  a  Toledo  hotel,  where  they 
gave  him  meat  once  more.  Hence,  it  is  going  better 
again. 

What  do  you  think  of  Seward,  my  child?  Have 
you  read  or  heard  about  his  last  speech  ?  The  mighty  is 
fallen.  He  bows  before  the  slave  power.  He  has  trod- 
den the  way  of  compromise  and  concession,  and  I  do  not 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  243 

see  where  he  can  take  his  stand  on  this  back  track.  This 
star  also  paled!  That  is  hard.  We  believed  in  him  so 
firmly  and  were  so  affectionately  attached  to  him.  This 
is  the  time  that  tries  men's  souls,  and  many  probably 
will  be  found  wanting.  Lincoln  still  stands  like  a  stone 
wall.  Every  report  from  Springfield  confirms  my  faith 
in  him.  A  great  majority  of  the  Senate  are  with  him, 
and  between  eighty  and  eighty-four  members  of  the 
House.  This  week  and  the  next  will  decide.  Some 
great  reputations  will  go  down  in  this  whirlpool  and 
possibly  some  new  names  will  write  themselves  in  his- 
tory. Between  us,  it  would  not  surprise  me  if  Lincoln 
should  recall  his  invitation  to  Seward  to  head  the  cabi- 
net. It  would  be  a  sharp,  perhaps  a  dangerous,  stroke 
but  a  just  one;  for  Seward,  whatever  he  may  think  pri- 
vately, has  no  right  on  his  own  responsibility  to  com- 
promise the  President's  future  policies  against  his  will. 
What  has  now  become  of  our  Chicago  convention 
Seward  enthusiasm?  Where  are  the  lovely  oratorical 
bouquets  with  which  we  covered  his  defeat? 

Governor  Chase  stands  firm  and  true  upon  his  old 
principles.  I  wrote  him  yesterday  and  urged  him 
strongly  not  to  decline  the  proffered  place  in  the  cabi- 
net. He  will  be  our  staff  and  support  there.  I  think  it 
not  impossible  that  this  week  or  next  some  sort  of  com- 
promise may  be  brought  forward  in  Congress.  Still,  I 
have  not  abandoned  the  hope  that  things  may  take  a 
more  favorable  turn.  The  South  will  not  be  easy  to 
satisfy,  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  the  shamelessness  of 
our  adversaries  [the  Democrats]  may  influence  our  ene- 
mies. It  is  well  at  times  to  have  out-and-out  enemies, 
particularly  when  one  belongs  to  a  party  which  is  tem- 
porarily smitten  with  cowardice.     The  brutal  aggres- 


244  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

sion  of  the  one  side  sets  bounds  for  the  cowardice  of  the 
other. 

I  shall  see  Lincoln  next  Saturday  and  will  disclose 
to  him,  in  the  fullest  manner,  my  views  relative  to  the 
public  interests.  I  do  not  believe  that  his  own  views 
will  be  withheld  from  me. 

Do  you  know  that  I  came  near  making  a  side  trip 
to  Washington  this  week?  Today  assembles  the  con- 
ference called  by  the  state  of  Virginia.  At  first  the 
northern  states  were  inclined  not  to  send  delegates,  but 
finally  thought  better  of  it.  Last  Friday  I  telegraphed 
Governor  Randall  to  have  the  state  of  Wisconsin  do 
the  same  and  to  send  me  among  others.  It  was  probably 
found  to  be  too  late  to  send  delegates,  and  so  the  matter 
failed  to  materialize.  It  is  also  possible  that  Randall 
quietly  pocketed  my  dispatch.  I  regret  it,  because  I 
believe  I  could  have  said  and  done  various  things  in  the 
conference  to  blow  up  the  "compromise"  air-castle.  I 
gave  Governor  Chase  my  ideas  on  the  subject  in  a  letter. 
Enough  about  the  world  history  which  is  transpiring  in 
our  day. 

.  .  .  Last  night  I  spent  in  the  tiresome  parlor  of  the 
tiresome  doctor's  family,  and  you  know  how  stupid  such 
a  Sunday  evening  can  be  for  me.  So,  in  thought,  I 
played  with  the  children,  heard  you  read  them  stories  out 
of  Andersen's  Fairy  Tales,  and  longed  with  all  my  heart 
to  be  with  you.  Well,  the  two  weeks  will  soon  be  over ; 
then  the  lectures  will  cease. 

To  His  Wife 

Detroit,  Thursday,  February  7,  1861 
I   am  still  in  uncertainty.      Yesterday   I   learned 
through  the  newspapers  that  the  Wisconsin  legislature 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  245 

would  still  send  commissioners  to  the  peace  conference 
in  Washington  and  that  my  name  was  among  them. 
Whether  or  not  the  resolution  on  the  subject  actually 
passed  the  Assembly  I  have  not  been  able  to  find  out. 
At  noon  today  I  telegraphed  to  Randall  and  Harvey,50 
but  no  reply  has  come  as  yet.  I  am  looking  for  it  mo- 
mentarily. If  I  find  the  resolution  passed,  I  shall  leave 
Detroit  by  the  next  train  and  be  in  Washington  early 
day  after  tomorrow.  Otherwise,  I  shall  keep  my  lecture 
appointments  and  be  at  Jackson,  Michigan,  tomorrow 
evening  and  at  Springfield  on  Saturday. 

Should  I  go  to  Washington,  I  believe  I  shall  be  able 
to  accomplish  at  this  time  what  there  is  to  be  done,  so  as 
not  to  be  obliged  to  go  again  on  the  fourth  of  March. 
I  would  stay  till  the  close  of  the  peace  conference,  re- 
turning home  from  there. 

Whatever  the  probable  results  of  the  conference,  I 
do  not  believe  that  anything  lasting  can  come  of  it. 
Should  an  agreement  be  reached  on  the  slavery  question, 
another  question  would  instantly  arise  which  for  the 
moment  is  of  surpassing  importance,  namely:  Shall 
the  laws  be  enforced  in  the  seceded  states  and  the  Union 
by  all  means  preserved?  This  question  the  northern 
states  will  answer  in  the  affirmative,  the  southern  in  the 
negative,  and  since  this  is  a  definitely  practical  question 
it  will  lead  to  a  new  and  final  break  however  the  ab- 
stract question  of  slavery  may  be  adjusted.  I  there- 
fore look  for  no  decisive  result  from  the  conference. 
Anyway  it  will  have  no  influence  upon  the  cotton  states, 
and  in  the  end  the  War  of  Secession  will  have  to  be 
waged.    You  may  ask :    Why  then  go  to  the  peace  con- 

89  Governor  Alexander  W.  Randall  and  Secretary  of  State  Louis  Powell 
Harvey. 


246  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

ference?  It  shows  the  South  our  desire  to  meet  its 
complaints.  It  enables  us  to  cultivate  good  relationships 
with  the  border  slave  states — Virginia,  Kentucky,  Ten- 
nessee, etc., — to  quietly  discuss  the  causes  of  dispute, 
tell  them  the  truth,  prolong  the  debate  and,  what  on 
our  side  is  of  critical  importance,  gain  time.  Let  Lin- 
coln once  be  inaugurated  and  things  will  look  different. 
Talk  will  end  and  action  begin.  The  peace  conference 
will  probably  prevent  uprisings  in  Maryland  and  Vir- 
ginia, and  the  fourth  of  March  will  be  here  before  we 
know  it.  Above  all,  it  is  necessary,  the  northern  states 
having  decided  to  send  delegates,  that  they  should  be 
represented  as  strongly  as  possible. 

Here  is  the  answer  from  Madison.  The  matter  is 
not  yet  decided.  "The  subject  is  before  the  legislature, 
not  acted  on,"  telegraphs  my  "friend,"  the  governor. 
Good;  I  shall  probably  still  have  time  to  go  to  Spring- 
field. ... 

I  am  living  along  as  one  is  bound  to  live  on  a  lec- 
ture tour,  wearied  a  great  deal  by  visitors,  forced  to 
answer  the  same  questions  and  receive  the  same  compli- 
ments a  thousand  times.  Otherwise  I  am  quite  well  and 
cheerful.  At  Ann  Arbor  yesterday  I  had  a  great  com- 
pany in  the  evening,  and  a  serenade.  You  see,  I  can 
stand  everything. 

To  His  Wife 

Springfield  [Illinois] 

February  9,  1861 

.  .  .  Because  I  had  suggested  the  presentation  of 

Virginia's  invitation  to  the  legislature,  together  with  a 

recommendation,  I  telegraphed  to  Randall  to  inquire 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  247 

what  had  become  of  that  matter.  Now  what  is  the  secret 
of  the  bad  use  he  has  made  of  it?  In  the  end  it  will  re- 
coil upon  him,  not  upon  me.  I  found  here  a  letter  from 
Madison  in  which  I  am  requested  to  clear  the  thing  up. 
I  shall  give  the  clarification  at  once,  when  it  will  appear 
in  its  true  light,  and  be  terminated.  Who  would  trouble 
himself  about  such  pettinesses? 

.  .  .  But  I  do  not  understand  how  the  people  in 
Madison  could  have  made  so  much  fuss  about  it.  I  see 
by  the  papers  that  the  conference  delegates  have  been 
appointed.  They  will  probably  not  accept  because  they 
will  not  have  time.  And  if  I  receive  an  offer  from  the 
legislature  I  will  [not]  accept.  The  peace  conference 
will  doubtless  soon  be  over. 

I  had  a  conversation  with  Lincoln  before  my  lecture 
and  he  said  he  would  visit  me  at  my  room  tomorrow, 
when  we  would  discuss  everything.  He  is  a  whole  man, 
firm  as  a  stone  wall  and  clear  as  crystal.  He  told  me 
that  Seward  made  all  his  speeches  without  consulting 
him.  He  himself  will  not  hear  of  concessions  and  com- 
promises, and  says  so  openly  to  everyone  who  asks. 

To  His  Wife 

Burlington,  Iowa,  February  13,  1861 
I  reached  the  right  bank  of  the  Mississippi  today 
after  a  strenuous  and  eventful  journey.    I  left  Spring- 
field Monday  night.  .  .  . 

I  expected  to  make  Peoria  in  the  night  and  Mon- 
mouth in  the  morning.  Toward  midnight,  about  half  an 
hour  before  we  reached  the  junction  where  I  should  have 
taken  the  train  to  Peoria,  our  train  broke  down,  the 
coaches  left  the  rails,  and  we  were  stalled.    No  one  was 


248  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

hurt,  and  the  accident  was  unpleasant  simply  in  that  it 
compelled  us  to  lay  over  the  night  in  an  open  field.  It 
was  nearly  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  an  engine 
summoned  by  telegraph  brought  us  to  the  junction 
house  of  Chenoa,  where  I  slept  on  the  floor  one  hour. 
Then,  at  eight  o'clock,  we  went  to  Peoria  by  freight 
train  and  at  evening  to  Galesburg.  But  I  was  unable 
to  reach  the  place  of  my  appointment  and  therefore  lost 
this  lecture.  I  have  now  slept  off  all  of  these  fatiguing 
incidents  and  am  as  fresh  as  ever.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Ottawa,  Illinois,  February  15,  1861 
Tonight  my  third  lecture,  and  then  three  days  more 
and  I  shall  be  with  you  all  again !  .  .  .  This,  by  the  way, 
has  been  the  hardest  tour  I  have  ever  made ;  a  continual 
succession  of  small  accidents  and  disappointments!  I 
wrote  you  day  before  yesterday  from  Burlington.  Yes- 
terday morning  at  ten  o'clock  I  was  to  give  at  Mon- 
mouth the  deferred  lecture  which  could  not  be  given 
Tuesday  evening  on  account  of  the  railway  mishap.  In 
order  to  do  it  I  had  to  leave  Burlington  about  half  past 
^ve  in  the  morning  to  cross  the  Mississippi  and  connect 
on  the  other  bank  with  the  train  which  would  carry  me 
eastward.  I  rose  in  time  to  be  greeted  by  a  raging 
snowstorm  which  made  travel  difficult  and  unpleasant. 
I  took  my  seat  in  the  omnibus  in  the  expectation  that, 
as  on  the  previous  day,  I  should  ride  comfortably  over 
the  ice  of  the  Mississippi.  But  on  reaching  the  bank 
the  driver  said  he  could  not  risk  driving  the  heavy  vehicle 
over  the  ice  before  daylight,  particularly  since  on  ac- 
count of  the  snow  he  could  not  see  the  holes.     So  there 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  249 

was  no  choice  but,  with  the  other  passengers,  to  make 
my  way  on  foot  across  the  Father  of  Waters.  There 
were  about  twenty  of  us.  A  man  with  a  lantern  took 
the  lead  and  we  fell  into  the  march.  A  raging  storm 
drove  the  snow  directly  into  our  faces.  Water  stood 
about  three  inches  deep  on  the  ice,  and  since  our  leader 
could  not  see  five  feet  ahead  of  him,  it  was  almost  im- 
possible for  him  to  keep  his  course.  So  we  wandered 
some  three-quarters  of  an  hour  on  the  Mississippi  be- 
fore reaching  the  opposite  shore.  In  a  sorrowful  state 
we  arrived  at  the  station,  and  you  ought  to  have  seen  the 
group  which  pressed  around  the  stoves,  emptied  the 
water  out  of  their  boots,  and  dried  their  socks.  But 
even  that  has  been  endured.  I  gave  two  lectures  that 
day  and  now  feel  as  if  nothing  had  happened.  Yet  I 
do  feel  that  I  have  earned  my  rest,  and  I  will  have 
it.  .  .  . 

The  latest  reports  from  Washington  show  me  more 
and  more  clearly  that  I  was  right  in  urging  the  sending 
of  a  delegation.  The  conference  will  probably  pass  the 
resolution  of  Guthrie  of  Kentucky,  and  that  could  have 
been  voted  down  had  all  radical  states  been  represented. 
The  governor  of  Michigan,  who  at  first  was  strongly 
opposed  to  the  sending  of  delegates,  yesterday  sent  a 
message  to  the  legislature  recommending  a  vote  on  the 
subject.  The  triflers  at  Madison,  it  appears,  will  do 
nothing.  I  trust  Lincoln  will  arrive  in  Washington  be- 
fore the  Republicans  shall  have  eaten  dust. 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  March  7,  1861 
I  have  tried  for  two  days  to  write  to  you,  but  this  is 
a  frightful  life.     Not  a  moment's  quiet.     Last  night 


250  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

Otterburg  arrived  and  handed  me  your  dear  letter.  I 
thank  you. 

Yesterday  I  received  congratulations  from  all  sides 
upon  my  appointment  as  minister  to  Sardinia.  The 
news  was  even  telegraphed  to  the  newspapers,  but  I 
have  had  no  official  information.  Yet  I  do  know  that- 
evening  before  last  Lincoln  said  to  Horace  Greeley  and 
Senator  Grimes  that  he  considered  the  appointment  a 
very  fitting  one  and  that  he  was  strongly  disposed  to 
make  it.  The  only  necessary  preliminary  would  be  a 
consultation  with  Seward.  He  also  told  others  that  he 
would  give  me  what  I  desired.  I  learn  that  the  Ver- 
mont Senators  are,  with  great  urgency,  presenting  a 
candidate  for  the  same  place,  but  I  do  not  believe  that 
can  change  the  result.  Old  Abe,  speaking  to  Senator 
Grimes,  called  me  the  greatest  man  in  America  and 
said  my  wishes  alone  would  command  him  without  other 
support. 

Do  not  blame  me  for  writing  so  briefly.  I  have  to 
call  upon  a  dozen  persons  this  morning  and  I  am  al- 
ready surrounded  on  all  sides.  The  matter  will  per- 
haps be  settled  today. 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  March  13,  1861 
It  is  already  Wednesday  and  still  I  cannot  leave 
here.  The  opposition  to  me  continues,  as  it  appears,  but 
the  powerful  defense  of  the  New  York  Tribune  has 
aided  much.  Lincoln  desires  that  I  shall  go  to  Sardinia 
and  has  definitely  promised  me  a  mission  of  the  first 
class.  There  has  been  a  rumor  that  Brazil  would  be 
offered  me.    It  is  certain  that  those  who  want  Sardinia 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  251 

for  another  are  pressing  for  this  solution.  So  far  I  have 
given  my  friends  to  understand  that  I  should  not  accept 
it.  If  Lincoln  brings  the  matter  up  I  shall  insist  upon 
Sardinia,  without  however  definitely  refusing  the  other 
mission.  The  salary  is  $12,000  and  Rio  de  Janeiro  is 
said  to  be  very  beautiful.  Still,  I  am  sure  that  Lincoln 
designs  me  for  Sardinia.  He  will  at  least  not  dispose 
of  that  mission  without  first  consulting  me. 

Night  before  last  I  fell  in  with  the  Sardinian  minis- 
ter at  the  Postmaster  General's.  He  declared  himself 
greatly  pleased  to  have  a  man  of  my  stamp  in  Turin. 
He  had  written  his  government  four  months  ago  that  I 
would  go  there. 

This  morning  your  letter  arrived.  It  was  an  oasis 
in  a  desert,  like  a  fresh  drink  on  a  hot,  dusty  summer 
day.  You  have  no  inkling  of  the  way  things  are  here — 
with  all  of  these  greedy  men,  who  think  only  of  them- 
selves; this  running  and  chasing  of  interests,  this  great 
hunt  in  which  the  hunters  shoot  at  one  another.  I  am 
on  my  feet  the  whole  day,  running  from  one  department 
to  another  looking  after  the  interests  of  friends.  Not  a 
moment's  respite  do  I  get  except  at  night,  when  I  lay 
me  down  to  rest  and  fall  asleep  with  thoughts  of  you 
and  our  little  ones. 

I  cannot  yet  tell  when  I  shall  get  away  from  here. 
You  will  understand  that  I  now  have  to  fight  this  thing 
through.  I  hope  for  complete  success,  for  I  know  that 
Lincoln  will  be  true  to  me.  So  I  must  not  neglect  any- 
thing. My  mind  is  distraught  and  my  whole  being  is  as 
if  parched,  especially  when  I  am  over-tired  and  cannot 
obtain  rest.  I  know  what  you  are  suffering  in  these 
days,  and  the  thought  doubles  the  weight  that  oppresses 
me. 


252  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

Adieu,  my  child.  I  am  again  surrounded  by  a  com- 
pany who  are  pressing  upon  me  from  all  sides  and 
monopolizing  me.  How  glad  I  shall  be  to  be  with  you 
once  more!  But  I  cannot  desert  this  battle  ground 
until  everything  is  settled. 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  March  28,  1861 
This  is  a  day  of  triumph.  Last  night  after  twelve 
I  was  awakened  with  the  news  that  Cassius  M.  Clay 
would  accept  the  Russian  mission ;  that  the  dispatch  had 
reached  the  President  about  eleven  and  that  he  had  ex- 
pressed his  pleasure.  This  morning  I  went  to  the  White 
House,  was  promptly  admitted  to  his  presence,  and 
Lincoln  held  up  to  me  a  paper  on  which  I  read:  "I 
nominate  Carl  Schurz  of  Wisconsin  to  be  Minister 
Plenipotentiary  and  Envoy  Extraordinary  to  Spain. 
Abraham  Lincoln."  Warm  handclasps,  etc.  So  Seward's 
influence  has  been  defeated,  and  I  am  master  of  the 
battle  field.  There  is  rejoicing  wherever  the  report  has 
gone.  My  nomination  is  now  before  the  Senate  and 
I  hope  that  even  in  the  moment  of  writing  the  con- 
firmation may  be  effected.  I  spoke  to  the  President 
about  the  appointment  of  Paine  as  secretary,60  and  the 
idea  seemed  to  be  satisfactory  to  him.  I  shall  probably 
achieve  this  matter  tomorrow  morning. 

A  succession  of  calls  will  have  to  be  made  tomorrow, 
among  them  one  upon  the  Spanish  minister,  and  then  at 
three  o'clock  I  depart  for  New  York  to  make  the 
necessary  financial  arrangements  for  our  voyage.  Mon- 
day morning  I  shall  set  out  from  New  York,  traveling 

00  Halbert  E.  Paine.     He  was  not  appointed. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  253 

day  and  night.  Now,  my  wifey,  everything  is  all  right. 
Get  ready  for  the  voyage  as  soon  as  possible.  Seward 
desires  that  the  ministers  depart  soon. 

This  outcome  is  better  than  the  Turin  mission  would 
have  been.  It  is  a  victory.  Next  to  Mexico,  Spain  is 
the  most  important  diplomatic  post — and  it  is  mine. 

To  His  Wife 

Milwaukee,  April  17,  1861 
It  has  been  decided  not  to  hold  a  mass  meeting  until 
the  regular  levy  of  troops  takes  place.  Yesterday  all 
military  characters  from  this  place  were  summoned  to 
Madison  by  the  governor — in  order  to  make  more  defi- 
nite plans  for  the  levy  and  organization.  They  are  ex- 
pected back  about  five  o'clock,  and  probably  then  the 
enlistment  rolls  for  volunteers  will  be  opened  at  once. 
It  is  hoped  this  may  begin  tonight.  I  shall  wait  for  it 
and  return  home  tomorrow.  The  war  spirit  is  universal 
— all  the  world  wants  to  march — and  I  cannot.  I  almost 
regret  being  a  foreign  minister.  If  I  were  only  one  of 
the  multitude  who  can  follow  their  impulses!  Excuse 
me,  wifey.  I  cannot  get  rid  of  these  reflections,  silly  as 
they  probably  are.  Paine  is  trying  to  secure  an  offi- 
cer's commission  in  one  of  the  Wisconsin  regiments, 
and  has  asked  me  to  remain  here  until  the  men  return 
from  Madison  in  order  to  aid  him.  He  has  not  yet  men- 
tioned the  matter  to  his  wife,  nor  will  he  until  the  com- 
mission is  secured.  Then,  he  anticipates  a  scene  at  his 
house,  but  thereafter  he  will  not  be  able  to  withdraw. 

Last  Monday  the  excitement  here  was  so  great  that 
a  movement  to  destroy  the  printing  establishments  of 
the  News  and  the  Seebote  was  only  barely  averted.    The 


254  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

News  has  already  become  distinctly  tame  and  the  See- 
bote  will  hardly  escape  its  doom  unless  it  changes  its 
course  betimes.  .  .  . 

Adieu  until  tomorrow  night.  My  spirit  is  depressed. 
But  I  believe  I  have  to  follow  the  fate  that  calls  me 
to  Europe.  Let  us  by  all  means  be  ready  to  depart  on 
Monday. 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  April  29,  1861 
A  regular  mail  leaves  today,  at  last,  and  I  have  the 
hope  that  my  letter  will  reach  you.  Saturday  I  gave  a 
gentleman  a  hastily  written  note;  perhaps  you  have 
seen  it  and  been  reassured  respecting  my  safety  and 
health.  Last  night  Otterburg  arrived  bringing  me  di- 
rect news  of  you.  So  Henry  has  arrived  and  is  with 
you !    Please  give  him  my  heartiest  greeting. 

Washington  is,  without  doubt,  the  quietest  city  in 
the  United  States.  Nowhere,  I  believe,  is  there  so  little 
excitement.  We  have  about  13,000  men  here  and  every 
day  brings  new  regiments.  The  city  is  quite  secure  and 
people  sleep  more  quietly  and  longer  than  elsewhere. 
It  is  as  if  we  were  here  separated  by  a  screen  from  the 
universal  excitement.  .  .  . 

I  have  just  seen  the  President  and  received  from 
him  the  final  decision  about  my  three  months'  leave. 
Seward  was  there  also — and  I  have  "leave"    Hurrah! 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  April  30,  1861 
Probably  you  have  received  by  the  post  my  letter 
from  Annapolis  and  two  from  here.     I  have  "three 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  255 

months'  leave  of  absence"  and  the  commission  to  or- 
ganize a  cavalry  corps.  All  goes  well  here.  Soon  things 
are  going  to  happen.  I  am  well  and  expect  to  leave  here 
tomorrow  unless  I  am  not  wholly  through  with  my  busi- 
ness. 

I  am  writing  these  hasty  lines  in  the  bureau  of  the 
Secretary  of  War.  Schimmelfennig,  who  is  to  go  to 
Philadelphia  and  New  York,  is  waiting  for  them. 

With  best  greetings,  particularly  to  our  dear  Henry. 

To  His  Parents 

New  York,  June  2,  1861 
As  you  have  doubtless  learned  from  the  papers,  my 
military  activities  have  suddenly  come  to  an  end.  I  was 
about  to  go  with  my  brigade  to  Fortress  Monroe  when 
dispatches  from  Spain  made  necessary  my  immediate 
departure.  This  change  in  the  situation  is  exceedingly 
vexatious,  but  the  necessity  of  my  speedy  appearance 
at  Madrid  is  so  pressing  that  it  really  leaves  me  no 
choice.  And  so  I  must  leave  this  country  at  the  very 
time  when  I  would  liefest  stay  here.  Thus  it  goes  when 
one  is  no  longer  his  own  master ;  I  have  to  put  up  with 
it.  We  sail  next  Wednesday  on  the  Persia,,  the  best 
ship  sailing  between  New  York  and  Liverpool,  and 
hope  to  be  in  Madrid  in  twenty  days.  I  had  strongly 
hoped  that  I  might  see  you  all  before  my  departure,  but 
the  compulsion  of  circumstances  makes  even  that  im- 
possible. .  .  . 

It  would  please  me  if  the  repairs  to  be  made  on  the 
house  could  be  made  promptly.  It  is  probable  that 
my  brother-in-law  Henry,  who  intends  to  remain  in 
America  a  while,  will  visit  you  some  day. 


256  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

Now  I  bid  you  good-bye,  not  for  many  years,  and 
perhaps  for  only  a  short  time ;  for  it  is  possible  that  cir- 
cumstances may  require  me,  during  my  mission,  to  visit 
the  home  government  from  time  to  time.  Do  not  worry 
about  us ;  we  go  in  an  unquiet  time  to  enter  upon  a  quiet 
life,  and  it  is  my  greatest  happiness  at  least  to  be  able  to 
shield  you  from  all  cares.  Be  assured  I  shall  ever  think 
of  you  with  undiminished  affection. 

Give  my  greetings  to  all  relatives  and  friends. 

To  Adolf  Meyer 

Madrid,  August  13,  1861 
I  thank  you  sincerely  for  your  friendly  letter.  I 
had  hoped  to  be  with  you  for  several  weeks  in  Ham- 
burg and  to  come  to  know  you  intimately,  but  untoward 
circumstances  deny  me  this  wish,  so  long  entertained. 
Still,  I  rejoice  that  Margarethe  at  least  has  seen  you 
once  more  and  can  be  with  you  for  a  time.  I  am  con- 
vinced her  sojourn  in  Reinbek  will  do  her  good.  The 
really  unendurable  summer  heat  of  Madrid  might  have 
prostrated  her.  .  .  . 

It  is  hardly  possible  I  shall  be  able  to  come  to  Ham- 
burg to  fetch  her,  much  as  I  wish  to  do  so.  The  condi- 
tions in  the  United  States  make  it  my  duty  to  remain  at 
my  post,  or  at  least  not  to  leave  it  for  long.  What  you 
tell  me  of  Hamburg  prices  and  means  of  transporta- 
tion makes  it  desirable  to  secure  in  Paris  the  things  re- 
quired for  our  house  here,  and  I  expect  to  arrange  to 
meet  Margarethe  in  Paris  as  soon  as  I  can  leave  here. 
The  repairs  I  ordered  for  our  charming  country  house 
here  are  finished,  and  the  Quinta  would  now  be  ready  to 
receive  its  guests  were  it  only  possible  for  me  to  get 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  257 

these  guests  together.  Still,  the  "service"  (as  we  would 
say  in  Prussia)  and  the  African  heat  do  not  yet  permit 
this.    In  a  few  weeks  it  will  be  possible. 

The  business  connected  with  the  letter  has  cleared 
up  in  the  most  satisfactory  manner.  After  receipt  of 
the  opened  envelope  I  directed  a  note  to  the  head  of 
the  Hamburg  post  office  asking  for  an  explanation  of 
the  accident.  Of  the  postal  regulations  I,  of  course,  had 
no  conception.  The  general  post  office  sent  me  a  huge 
envelope  full  of  detailed  statements  concerning  the  facts 
of  the  case,  which  tallied  closely  with  what  you  say,  and 
I  on  my  part  directed  a  letter  to  the  general  post  office 
declaring  myself  wholly  satisfied.  The  "worshipful" 
general  post  office  and  the  equally  "worshipful"  Ameri- 
can ministry  therefore  parted  in  the  most  friendly 
manner. 

The  report  of  the  miserable  affair  at  Manassas,  as 
you  can  easily  believe,  affects  me  most  unpleasantly.  It 
might  have  had  the  most  unthinkable  results  had  the 
Secessionists  been  in  position  to  follow  up  their  ad- 
vantage. At  best  it  will  have  the  effect  of  prolonging 
the  war,  without  however  changing  the  final  outcome. 
There  will  be  no  further  talk  of  compromise,  and  finally 
there  will  be  an  end  of  slavery. 

You  may  imagine  that  at  this  time  my  thoughts  are 
in  Washington  much  more  than  in  Madrid.  I  would 
give  much  for  a  day  in  the  President's  cabinet.  Per- 
haps things  will  shape  themselves  for  the  best.  It  al- 
most seems  as  if  we  should  never  have  quiet  enjoyment 
again. 

At  the  close  of  your  letter  you  promise  me  "more  in 
the  next."    I  beg  you  to  keep  your  word.    Shall  I  per- 


258  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

haps  meet  you  in  Paris  also?    It  would  be  delightful  if 
we  could  spend  a  few  days  there  together. 

To  His  Parents 

Madrid,  August  19,  1861 
I  have  been  waiting  for  a  letter  from  you  from  day 
to  day  and  from  week  to  week ;  but  in  vain.  We  wrote 
you  on  shipboard  shortly  before  our  arrival  and  mailed 
the  letter  from  London.  Margarethe  wrote  you  again 
from  Hamburg,  and  I  would  have  written  you  promptly 
from  here  had  I  not  seemed  to  recall  that  in  accordance 
with  an  understanding  made  in  Watertown  I  was  to 
wait  for  a  letter  from  you  first.  Probably  our  mutual 
silence  is  due  to  the  same  cause. 

Margarethe  has  doubtless  told  you  why  we  separated 
in  Paris.  The  experiences  I  have  had  since  make  it  im- 
possible for  me  to  regret  the  step,  unpleasant  as  it  has 
been.  But  let  me  narrate.  I  arrived  here  on  July  13 
and  after  a  previous  meeting  with  the  minister  of  foreign 
affairs  was  presented  on  the  fourteenth  at  ten  o'clock 
p.m.  to  the  Queen.  The  presentation  of  the  letters  of 
credence  was  effected  with  the  usual  mumble- jumble.  I 
made  an  address  to  the  Queen  in  English,  of  which  she 
understood  not  a  single  word,  and  she  answered  in 
Spanish,  of  which  I  understood  nothing,  and  we  were 
extremely  satisfied  with  each  other.  Something  else 
happened  at  this  audience  which  would  not  have  been 
thought  possible  in  this  stiffly  ceremonious  Spain. 
Lacking  a  uniform,  I  appeared  within  the  sacred  pre- 
cincts of  the  royal  palace  in  a  black  frock  coat,  a  pro- 
ceeding so  frightful  that  Madrid  could  not  get  over  it 
for  a  number  of  days.     Several  days  ago,  however,  I 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  259 

received  from  Paris  my  embroidered  coat,  and  I  believe 
the  European  equilibrium  is  again  restored.  I  lived  in 
a  hotel  about  a  week,  paying  six  dollars  per  day  for 
two  small  rooms  and  very  middling  board.  Then  I 
rented  a  country  house  directly  in  front  of  the  Alcola 
gate.  The  house  has  a  fine  suite  of  large  rooms  and 
stands  in  a  garden  comprising  about  fourteen  acres. 
It  is  the  property  of  Queen  Christine,  who  lived  there 
several  years  ago  with  her  husband,  the  count  of  Rian- 
garez,  the  former  guardsman  Murioz.  In  the  year  1854, 
on  the  occasion  of  the  revolution,  the  people  of  Madrid 
took  certain  liberties  with  the  property  of  the  despised 
Christine,  and  the  last  traces  of  these  I  am  compelled 
to  efface  at  this  time.  It  is  too  bad  that  in  Madrid 
furnished  apartments  are  not  to  be  had,  so  I  am  forced 
to  buy  the  furniture  I  need,  and  since  everything  of  the 
kind  is  horribly  dear  in  Madrid  I  shall  have  to  make  my 
purchases  in  Paris  and  import  them  here. 

I  can  perhaps  give  you  an  idea  of  prices  here  by 
saying  that  a  man  requires  about  three  times  as  much 
to  live  on  as  he  does  in  New  York,  without  living  half 
as  well.  My  residence  was  secured  on  uncommonly 
good  terms.  I  pay  $1,000  per  year  for  house  and  lega- 
tion offices,  and  am  not  held  for  the  care  of  the  garden. 
Nearly  all  my  predecessors  had  tp  pay  $2,000  to  $2,500 
for  rent  alone.  For  this  advantageous  arrangement  I 
have  to  thank  Perry,  my  secretary  of  legation,  whom 
I  have  found  to  be  an  excellent  man. 

It  is  extremely  difficult  to  run  a  household  here.  It 
is  assumed  that  the  wife  of  a  minister  shall  concern  her- 
self about  nothing  that  goes  on  in  the  managerial  de- 
partment, and  the  Spanish  domestics  are  so  habituated 
to  stealing  that  one  is  not  sure  of  the  buttons  on  his  coat. 


260  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

Unless  careful  supervision  is  exercised,  you  may  expect 
that  half  the  household  money,  and  at  times  more,  will 
find  its  way  into  the  pockets  of  the  help.  This  business 
has  developed  to  such  a  system  that  you  cannot  keep 
domestics  if  they  are  not  permitted  to  steal.  Luckily, 
I  have  the  best  support  in  Perry,  who  has  lived  many 
years  in  Spain  and  whose  wife  is  a  Spanish  lady. 
Strangers  who  have  no  acquaintances  here  and  are 
obliged  to  submit  to  circumstances  undergo  the  most 
unheard-of  plundering.  Margarethe  expects  to  bring 
several  members  of  our  personnel  from  Hamburg. 

It  was  a  rare  good  fortune  that  I  found  the  country 
house  with  large  garden.  The  environs  of  Madrid  are 
so  dreary  and  treeless  that  the  houses  are  more  attrac- 
tive than  the  landscape.  The  Manzanares,  that  cele- 
brated stream  that  waters  the  capital,  has  just  water 
enough  in  summer  to  dampen  the  soiled  clothes  of 
Madrid,  so  that  the  stream  itself  is  hidden  by  shirts 
and  drawers.  The  city  has  about  300,000  inhabitants. 
Several  streets  and  walks  are  lovely,  but  in  general  this 
capital,  pronounced  by  the  Spaniards  one  of  the  most 
splendid  in  the  whole  world,  does  not  exceed  in  magnifi- 
cence a  German  princely  capital  of  the  second  or  third 
rank.  The  people  are  at  least  a  hundred  years  behind 
the  rest  of  the  western  Europeans  in  civilization.  There 
are,  to  be  sure,  highly  educated  people  here,  but  on  the 
whole  the  ignorance  of  the  lower  and  middle  classes  is 
unbelievable.  Even  in  the  higher  circles  you  stumble 
upon  a  kind  of  superstition  at  which  among  us  young 
children  would  laugh.  It  is  said  that  the  Spaniards 
have  made  great  progress  in  the  last  ten  years,  and  I 
think  that  is  true,  but  still  it  is  certain  they  have  much 
more  progress  to  make  if  they  are  to  overtake  the  rest 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  261 

of  Europe.  I  have  seen  a  bullfight  at  which  the  people, 
which  means  all  classes  of  society,  were  radiant  in  the 
glory  of  their  enthusiasm.  This  indicates  in  general 
their  plane  of  culture. 

So  much  is  said,  written,  and  sung  about  "lovely 
Spain."  It  is  a  fable,  unless  all  beauty  is  concentrated 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  country.  On  my  way  hither 
I  took  the  route  from  Paris  via  Marseilles  and  Alicante. 
Alicante  is  a  liarbor  on  the  Mediterranean  pretty  well 
toward  the  south.  The  road  from  there  to  Madrid  leads 
through  one  of  the  dreariest  stretches  of  country  that  I 
have  ever  seen — wild,  rough  mountain  chains  without 
tree  or  shrub,  or  wide,  bare  plains  with  at  best  but  scant 
vegetation.  The  forests  were  destroyed  in  earlier  times. 
The  part  of  Spain  occupied  by  the  Moors  was  once 
carefully  cultivated  and  well  populated.  Blooming 
fields  and  fruitful  gardens  covered  the  plains.  As  the 
Christians  advanced,  everything  was  destroyed.  The 
monks  preached  that  trees  were  a  dangerous  luxury 
promotive  of  sensuousness,  and  a  belief  spread  among 
the  peasantry  that  a  rich  forest  growth  made  the  land 
unhealthful.  So  the  most  fruitful  regions  were  trans- 
formed into  desert  steppes.  Only  in  the  most  southern 
part,  particularly  in  the  district  of  Granada,  where  the 
Moors  remained  longest,  does  the  old-time  art  of  culti- 
vation partially  persist.  There  are  still  some  forests  in 
that  district,  particularly  in  Estremadura,  where  the 
cork-oaks  cover  broad  plains  and  far-stretching  ridges. 
The  population  still  retains  the  striking  Moorish  type. 
It  is  impossible  not  to  detect  the  African  blood  in  the 
physiognomy  and  the  whole  character  of  the  people. 
That  is  responsible  for  the  chief  difference  between  the 
Spanish  people,  particularly  those  in  the  south,  and  the 


262  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

remaining  Romanic  stocks.  The  Basque  province 
throughout  is  occupied  by  a  distinct  aboriginal  race  and 
is  not  considered  in  the  above  statement.  It  is  thus  not 
wholly  wrong  to  say  that  Africa  begins  at  the  Pyrenees. 
It  will  take  effort  to  make  these  people  like  the  other 
races  of  Europe.  Up  to  now,  the  interior  of  the  coun- 
try has  not  been  much  traveled  and  for  that  reason  re- 
mains little  known  to  outsiders.  The  opening  of  new 
lines  of  communication,  especially  railways,  will  prove 
a  veritable  lever  of  progress  and  civilization. 

Of  social  life  in  Madrid  I  have  as  yet  seen  little  be- 
cause everybody  is  away  during  the  summer.  I  must 
say  that  I  am  not  particularly  curious.  The  diplomats, 
by  reason  of  their  stations  and  their  duties,  come  in  con- 
tact with  the  upper  aristocracy,  the  dukes  and  counts 
and  whatever  they  may  call  themselves.  Splendid  titles 
are  here  as  abundant  as  blackberries,  but  usually  there 
is  little  to  them.  If  the  diplomats  did  not  have  social 
life  among  themselves,  things  would  be  somewhat 
gloomy  for  us.  I  cannot  deny  that  I  wish  myself  back 
home  again.  I  would  ten  times  rather  labor  hard  there 
than  sit  idle  here.  I  cannot  endure  people  who  abase 
themselves  as  they  do  here,  and  I  am  ashamed  when  all 
manner  of  honors  and  reverences  are  hurled  at  me.  No- 
where  can  I  feel  right  save  in  a  land  where  the  people 
stand  erect  in  their  own  boots.  It  will  still  be  a  couple 
of  weeks  before  I  can  go  for  Margarethe.  Tomorrow 
I  go  to  La  Gran j  a,  a  summer  residence  of  the  Queen, 
to  stay  probably  two  or  three  weeks.  So  far  I  have  had 
enough  to  do.  The  uncertain  state  of  our  politics  calls 
for  work  which  otherwise  would  be  unnecessary.  You 
must  fight  better  in  America  so  that  we  in  Europe  need 
not  be  ashamed.    Ten  times  rather  would  I  fight  along 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  263 

with  the  rest  in  America  than  explain  our  defeats  in 
Europe.    It  is  a  hateful  business. 

Now,  leave  me  not  without  news  of  you.  I  have 
hoped  and  hoped  to  receive  an  answer  to  our  first  letter, 
but  in  vain.  Write  me  in  detail  about  your  life,  your 
plans  and  your  needs,  and  do  not  forget  that  I  think  of 
you  with  faithful  love.  Write  me  without  reserve  what 
your  needs  are  and  I  will  take  care  of  them.  Also  let 
me  hear  about  Tony  and  Anna. 

[Direction  about  the  address.]  Care  of  Department 
of  State,  Washington,  D.  C.  Letters  will  then  cost 
only  one  or  two  stamps. 

To  Frederick  Althaus 

Madrid,  October  11,  1861 
You  will  be  surprised  when  I  tell  you  that  since  my 
arrival  in  Spain  I  have  not  written  a  single  line  about 
the  country,  the  people,  and  conditions.  As  often  as  I 
formed  the  resolution  to  do  so  something  always  came 
up  which  had  to  be  done  instantly.  So,  undoubtedly, 
I  have  already  lost  the  recollection  of  a  great  deal  which 
1  shall  not  be  able  to  recover.  However,  I  should  have 
been  able  to  note  very  little  that  is  agreeable.  Spain, 
in  all  respects,  fails  to  come  up  to  my  expectations.  A 
desert  land  and  an  uncultivated  people.  In  politics 
every  kind  of  corruption,  which  usually  adheres  to  a 
constitutional  system  devoid  of  constitutional  freedom. 
Among  the  upper  classes  a  kind  of  culture  which  dis- 
tinguishes itself  by  its  vices  as  well  as  its  superficiality; 
in  the  lower  classes  much  inherent  brutal  strength  but 
unexampled  ignorance ;  the  crassest,  blackest  ignorance. 
This  picture  may  seem  somewhat  distorted,  but  it  is 


264  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

on  the  whole  true.  I  do  not  understand  how  this  country 
gained  its  reputation  for  beauty.  Rough,  desert  moun- 
tains only  rarely  wooded,  wild  and  inhospitable ;  treeless, 
waterless  plains:  that  constitutes  the  landscape.  There 
are,  of  course,  exceptions,  but  only  a  few.  I  spent  Sep- 
tember in  San  Ildefonso,  one  of  the  summer  residences 
of  the  Queen,  in  the  Sierra  Guadarrama.  The  mountain 
formations  are  here  and  there  grotesque,  most  of  the 
ranges  completely  bare,  some  of  them  covered  with  pine 
groves,  very  sparingly  provided  with  streams,  and  from 
the  highest  peaks  you  look  far  away  upon  nothing  but 
the  yellowish  earth  color  of  desert  plains.  Thus  far  I 
have  seen  no  respectable  trees  in  Spain  except  the  elms 
at  the  Escurial  which  Philip  II  received  from  England. 
All  the  rest,  with  the  exception  of  the  pines,  are  dwarfish, 
crooked  stuff.  It  is  said  there  are  beautiful  oak  forests 
in  Estremadura.  So  much  I  know,  that  Mancha  and 
Castile  are  the  most  desert  countries  I  remember  to  have 
seen. 

Thus  far  I  have  sought  out  company  only  to  a  very 
slight  extent.  The  conclusions  I  have  drawn  are  all 
derived  from  what  I  have  seen  and  what  has  been  told 
me.  The  diplomatic  circle,  into  which  I  am  most  thrown 
for  the  present,  is  made  up  of  a  group  of  stiff  aristocrats 
inflated  by  the  sense  of  their  authority. 

Perhaps,  however,  I  may  not  be  in  the  mood  to  ap- 
preciate the  good  which  offers.  My  thoughts  are  over 
there  on  the  other  side  of  the  ocean,  and  in  the  same 
measure  in  which  the  situation  there  has  become  more 
dubious  I  have  regretted  a  hundred  times  my  desire  to 
assume  a  diplomatic  post.  What  I  write  about  Ameri- 
can affairs  is  for  you  alone,  and  you  will  of  course  re- 
gard it  as  confidential. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  265 

Unquestionably  we  now  have  a  good  and  large  army, 
and  probably  also  a  capable  and  energetic  leader  at  its 
head.  Likewise  the  fleet  is  in  good  condition,  and  it  is 
probable  that  our  superiority  at  sea  will  bring  great 
distress  to  the  South.  But  it  will  cost  many  a  victory; 
many  forceful  blows  will  have  to  be  delivered  in  order 
to  make  good  the  damage  sustained  in  the  unfortunate 
Manassas  affair.  Had  we  gained  a  brilliant  success 
then,  the  rebellion  would  have  been  nipped  in  the  bud. 
The  South  would  have  given  up  its  belief  in  the  possi- 
bility of  success.  A  great  number  of  people  there 
simply  waited  to  be  drawn  to  one  or  the  other  side  by 
the  outcome  of  this  battle.  That  class  of  people  has 
been  lost  to  us.  The  rebellion  has  consolidated  itself. 
The  people  have  become  habituated  to  the  idea  of  being 
separated  from  the  Union,  and  it  is  probable  that  the 
war  will  assume  the  character  which  the  Carlist  war  in 
Spain  had. 

There  is  but  one  means  of  effecting  a  decided  change 
of  trend ;  namely,  to  proclaim  the  freedom  of  all  slaves. 
That,  to  be  sure,  is  an  operation  which  may  have  terrible 
consequences ;  it  is  a  genuine  Caesarian  operation — but 
I  see  no  other  way  in  which  the  situation  can  be  relieved. 
We  must  choke  the  sources  of  the  secession  movement 
in  order  to  master  the  movement  itself. 

Application  of  such  means  demands  more  spirit  and 
decision  than  the  government  possesses.  You  have 
noticed  the  anxiety  with  which  Fremont's  proclamation 
was  qualified.  That  is  the  way  to  allow  great  popular 
movements  to  disappear  in  the  sand.  Were  I  in  Amer- 
ica, I  should  make  an  attempt  on  my  own  hook  to  win 
official  favor  for  this  radical  cure.  Possibly  necessity 
will  compel  the  adoption  of  a  measure  which  they  have 


266  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

not  the  spirit  to  seize  upon — but  I  fear  it  will  then  be 
too  late.  You  see  I  am  not  particularly  sanguine  in  re- 
gard to  the  future.  When  one  looks  at  things  from  a 
distance  he  is  sometimes  in  better  position  to  discover 
controlling  issues  than  when,  near  by,  he  is  exposed  to 
the  deceptive  influence  of  seemingly  favorable  details. 

I  hope  soon  to  be  in  position  to  free  myself  so  far 
from  my  work  here  as  to  be  able  to  hunt  up  my  family. 
Possibly  we  shall  see  each  other  on  this  occasion.  But 
do  not  let  that  prevent  you  from  writing  me. 

Above  all,  my  regards  to  Charlotte.  Also  Herzen, 
when  you  see  him. 

To  Frederick  Althaus 

Madrid,  December  9,  1861 
Had  I  been  able  to  find  leisure  for  letter  writing  I 
would  long  since  have  informed  you  that  after  the  Bull 
Run  affair,  and  again  about  five  weeks  ago,  I  requested 
the  government  to  accept  my  resignation  or,  as  an  alter- 
native, to  give  me  an  indefinite  leave  of  absence.  My 
first  letter  was  answered  with  new  instructions  for  my 
activities  here ;  my  second  was,  however,  so  worded  that 
it  was  necessary  to  agree  to  one  or  the  other  alternative. 
I  expect  the  answer  at  the  beginning  of  next  week.  The 
reason  for  this  step  is  my  conviction  that  over  there  they 
have  no  understanding  of  the  true  situation  of  affairs 
and  blindly  run  themselves  into  the  most  irresponsible 
courses.  It  almost  seems  as  if  no  one  there  knew  the 
truth — or  no  one  who  has  the  courage  to  speak  it.  The 
one  case  is  almost  as  bad  as  the  other.  Since  I  worked 
so  prominently  for  the  election  of  Lincoln  I  feel,  con- 
cerning the  manner  in  which  the  business  there  is  con- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  267 

ducted,  a  personal  responsibility  which  I  cannot  justify 
in  the  quiet  enjoyment  of  a  diplomatic  position.  It  is, 
however,  probable  that  the  leave  of  absence  will  be 
granted  me.  I  hope  to  receive  the  answer  next  week 
and  shall  depart  immediately.  Since  the  Prussian  min- 
ister here  assured  me  that  my  journey  through  Prussia 
will  encounter  no  difficulties,  I  expect  to  go  direct  to 
Hamburg. 

Whether  under  these  circumstances  I  can  come  to 
London  depends  on  whether,  after  the  answer  of  our 
government  to  England's  demand  [in  the  Trent  affair], 
it  will  still  be  possible  for  me  to  go  to  America  by  way 
of  England.  If  not,  I  shall  take  the  Hamburg  packet 
boat  to  New  York.  Still,  I  hope  that  Adams'  depar- 
ture may  not  be  hastened  and  that  I  can  still  visit  you  in 
London.  What  the  future  may  bring  me  is  accordingly 
uncertain.  Certain  it  is  the  state  of  the  country  de- 
mands the  greatest  exertions  and  the  utmost  sacrifice 
of  every  good  citizen,  and  I  should  be  the  last  to  with- 
hold anything.  I  have  suffered  a  great  deal  lately 
through  this  perpetual  worry.  I  shall  feel  better  when 
I  swim  in  the  middle  of  the  stream.  The  beautiful 
dreams  of  quiet  happiness  must  for  the  present  be  given 
up. 

I  wish  much  to  be  able  to  spend  a  day  with  you.  Oh, 
it  is  not  a  comfortable  thing  to  bind  one's  individual 
fate  to  the  fate  of  a  people ! 

To  Adolf  Meyer 

On  Board  the  Bavaria,  January  14,  1862 
...  In  another  hour  we  shall  see  the  cliffs  of  Dover 
and  shall  be  in  Southampton  tomorrow  morning  about 


268  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

six  o'clock.  Thus  far  the  weather  has  been  as  quiet  as 
in  midsummer.  The  waves  of  the  North  Sea  were  no 
higher  than  those  of  the  Alster.  .  .  . 

Thus  the  voyage  up  to  now  has  been  as  pleasant  as 
could  be,  considering  we  have  just  taken  our  departure 
from  a  place  we  were  loath  to  leave  and  from  friends 
with  whose  company  we  could  never  be  satiated.  The 
captain  prophesies  good  weather  for  the  entire  voyage, 
and  we  shall  gladly  believe  him  until  bad  weather  comes. 
Margarethe  sometimes  inquires  about  pirate  ships,  but 
the  wretched  fellows  keep  refusing  to  come ;  it  seems  you 
cannot  depend  on  anybody  any  more.  The  children 
play  and  shout  as  if  they  were  at  home  here.  ...  So 
our  situation  is  at  present  quite  endurable.  .  .  . 

When,  like  ourselves,  one  swims  upon  the  great 
waves  of  life,  which  are  not  always  peaceful,  it  is  a 
beautiful  thing  to  know  people  somewhere  to  whom  one 
is  attached,  not  by  the  bonds  of  a  common  interest  or  a 
common  struggle,  but  by  the  more  disinterested  bonds 
of  blood  and  of  feeling.  That  is  a  haven  which  always 
remains  open  if  the  others  are  blockaded.  .  .  . 

To  His  Parents 

New  York,  February  2,  1862 
The  telegraph  has  probably  notified  you  that  we  are 
here,  safe  and  sound.  Our  sea  voyage  was  particularly 
unpleasant.  We  saw  the  sea  in  its  most  threatening  as- 
pect and  the  storm  in  its  most  dreadful  rage.  The  ship 
lost  four  boats,  the  bulwarks  were  crushed  in,  sails 
ripped  to  tatters,  the  yards  torn  down  and  broken,  sail- 
ors forced  overboard,  and  the  ship  made  to  look  like  a 
wreck.    We  stood  it  well  and  everything  is  all  right  now. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  269 

We  are  here,  well  and  cheerful  as  ever.  I  have  leave 
for  three  months  and  shall  make  good  use  of  it.  Today 
I  go  to  Washington,  where  we  shall  remain  at  least  two 
or  three  weeks.  I  believe  I  have  come  at  precisely  the 
right  time.  You  shall  hear  from  me  soon.  Then  we 
will  visit  you  in  Watertown  and  I  hope  we  shall  find 
you  happy.  In  a  few  days  I  shall  be  able  to  write  you 
more  at  length.  I  am  full  of  work.  You  will  excuse 
my  brevity  today. 


To  His  Parents 

Washington,  March  13,  1862 
Had  I  not  expected  that  we  should  have  been  in 
Watertown  before  this  time  I  would  have  written  you 
long  ago.  But  my  business  here  is  deferred  from  day 
to  day,  so  that  I  still  do  not  know  where  I  stand.  The 
political  outlook  is  now  such  as  to  justify  the  best  hopes, 
but  it  will  still  cost  heavy  fighting  to  bring  the  revolu- 
tion to  an  end  that  shall  secure  to  the  country  lasting 
peace  and  solid  progress. 

As  for  myself,  I  do  not  at  this  moment  know  in 
what  direction  to  turn  my  steps.  A  few  days  ago  I  had 
a  conversation  with  the  President,  from  which  it  ap- 
peared to  me  that  he  desired  my  presence  in  the  country 
in  view  of  the  political  struggles  which  must  come.  I 
gave  him  to  understand  that  I  was  prepared  for  this, 
whereupon  he  remarked  that  I  must  then  take  up  a 
position  here  corresponding  to  my  previous  position 
over  there.  That  could  be  only  a  position  in  the  army, 
for  there  are  no  more  civil  offices  open.  We  have  as 
yet  come  to  no  decision  in  these  matters.    In  a  few  days 


270  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

however  a  decision  must  come,  since  my  leave  will  soon 
expire. 

The  military  situation  is  such  that  if  the  operations 
were  carried  out  energetically  and  the  hot  season  did  not 
supervene,  a  definite  decision  might  be  reached  soon. 
But  since  they  let  the  rebel  army  escape  through  Manas- 
sas, and  summer,  which  will  set  barriers  to  operations,  is 
at  the  door,  the  matter  may  still  be  expected  to  drag 
along.  .  .  . 

I  am  so  overrun  here  the  entire  day  that  I  hardly 
have  time  to  write  at  all.  All  Germans  having  anything 
to  do  with  the  government  come  to  see  me,  so  my  room 
has  become  a  kind  of  headquarters  where  there  is  com- 
ing and  going  as  in  a  dovecote.  .  .  . 

To  His  Mother 

Philadelphia,  May  5,  1862 
I  am  very  thankful  to  S.  for  not  giving  you  the  first 
newspaper  report  of  my  illness.  You  would  have  wor- 
ried unnecessarily.  I  was  actually  quite  sick  for  a 
couple  of  weeks  so  that  I  had  to  keep  to  my  bed  for 
about  eight  days.  But  the  disease  was  not  typhus  fever. 
I  suffered  from  a  very  severe  and  continuous  headache 
and  such  great  exhaustion  that  I  could  hardly  stir. 
Now  I  have  had  some  perfectly  quiet  days  here  in  Phila- 
delphia and  am  again  quite  well.  In  a  few  days  I  shall 
be  as  strong  as  ever. 

We  hope  to  be  relieved  of  our  uncertainty  within  a 
short  time.  The  President  has  not  yet  accepted  my 
resignation  nor  declared  himself  concerning  my  future. 
Still,  I  shall  hear  something  definite  in  two  or  three  days. 
This  condition  of  uncertainty  about  the  immediate  fu- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  271 

ture  is  decidedly  unpleasant,  but  one  must  become  ac- 
customed to  slowness  of  decision  in  our  government. 

I  well  know,  dear  Mama,  that  you  could  not  rejoice 
in  the  thought  of  seeing  me  in  the  army  instead  of  in  a 
foreign  country;  but  when  a  man  has  fought  as  I  have, 
for  a  good  cause  to  which  he  is  bound  with  all  the  force 
of  conviction,  it  is  hard  to  desert  it  just  at  the  moment 
a  final  decision  is  pending.  It  is  hard  to  sit  inactive 
and  lazy  abroad  when  the  result  of  years  of  labor,  nay, 
the  fate  of  the  republic  to  which  one  has  dedicated  him- 
self, hangs  by  a  thread.  I  confidently  believe  that  it 
will  not  be  necessary  to  secure  much  more  help  in  a  mili- 
tary way.  We  know  now  that  we  are  strong  enough  to 
overthrow  the  rebels,  and  while  I  do  not  believe  that 
despite  all  of  our  victories  the  matter  will  end  in  a  few 
weeks,  it  does  seem  certain  that  two  principal  battles 
will  end  the  major  operations,  unless  a  great  reverse 
happens  to  us.  But  then  will  begin  the  most  serious  of 
all  undertakings ;  namely,  so  to  dispose  the  results  of  vic- 
tory as  to  insure  to  the  country  a  great,  free,  and  peace- 
ful future.  And  in  this  business  I  shall  be  in  no  sense 
superfluous.  In  order  fully  to  solve  the  problem  that 
will  fall  to  me  in  this  connection  I  must  have  secured  a 
footing  in  the  army.  The  spirit  of  the  army  will  be  of 
the  greatest  importance  in  the  solution  of  the  great 
questions,  and  unfortunately  (so  far  as  the  principal 
leaders  are  concerned)  it  has  not  thus  far  been  what  it 
ought  to  be. 

When  you  examine  the  entire  situation  of  affairs  the 
thought  will  come  to  you  of  itself  that  the  cause  is 
worthy  of  a  sacrifice.  It  is  true  I  should  often  think 
more  of  the  question  of  personal  advantage,  but  you 
must  pardon  me  if  I  cannot  always  do  so.    When  one 


272  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

has  done  all  he  can  for  a  good  and  great  cause,  the  con- 
sciousness of  fulfilling  one's  duty  in  great  measure  is 
also  not  without  value.  If  the  President  shall  now  re- 
fuse to  accept  my  resignation,  I  shall  have  done  my  part 
and  we  will  go  back,  but  in  no  case  without  seeing  you  all 
again. 

So,  dearest  Mama,  write  me  quite  fully  how  you  are; 
and  whatever  wishes  you  may  have  I  shall  be  happy  to 
fulfill  them.  We  are  now  all  well.  The  children  have 
both  had  the  measles  but  are  now  well  again.  Mar- 
garethe  is  on  the  whole  also  well. 

To  His  Parents 

Mount  Jackson,  Headquarters  of 
the  Mountain  Army 
June  12,  1862 
We  arrived  here  today  on  our  retreat  through  Har- 
risonburg [Virginia]  and  I  utilize  the  first  free  moment 
to  write  to  you.  Margarethe  has  probably  informed 
you  that  I  left  for  the  army  on  June  2  with  my  general 
staff  officers.  Since  the  way  by  Harper's  Ferry  was  cut 
off  we  went  via  Pittsburg  to  Wheeling.  On  account  of 
the  swollen  streams  which  had  carried  away  the  railroad 
bridges,  we  lay  in  the  mountains  two  days,  came  finally 
on  the  sixth  to  Cumberland,  on  the  seventh  to  Win- 
chester, where  we  found  Banks  and  Sigel;  the  same 
night  rode  on  cavalry  horses  lent  me  by  Banks  to  Stras- 
burg  and  arrived  at  Harrisonburg  after  a  two  days' 
ride.  On  the  morning  of  the  tenth,  two  days  after  the 
encounter  at  Cross  Keys,  for  which  we  were  too  late, 
we  started  to  go  to  Fremont's  headquarters  when  on 
the  way  thither  we  were  notified  of  the  retreat  of  the 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  273 

army.  The  same  afternoon  the  army  reached  Harri- 
sonburg. The  weather  was  bad,  the  roads  were  filled 
with  mud,  and  the  men  presented  a  pitiable  appearance. 
The  army  had  suffered  much :  continued  rapid  marches ; 
extremely  inadequate  provisions,  at  times  absolutely 
nothing  to  eat;  shoes  worn  out,  a  large  proportion  of 
the  men  barefooted;  the  horses  through  want  of  regu- 
lar feeding  worn  down  and  decrepit ;  the  cavalry  for  the 
most  part  beneath  contempt.  The  men  generally  fought 
well  at  Cross  Keys,  but  the  army  had  come  so  absolutely 
in  need  of  better  provisioning,  reorganization,  and  rest, 
and  in  addition  Jackson  was  so  superior  on  account  of 
reinforcements,  that  Fremont  decided  to  withdraw  to 
the  strong  position  on  Mount  Jackson.  We  reached 
New  Market  yesterday  and  arrived  here  today.  We 
are  comfortably  quartered  and  will  enjoy  some  days  of 
undisturbed  rest.  As  soon  as  the  reorganization  of  the 
army  shall  have  been  achieved  I  shall  have  a  regular 
command,  probably  of  two  brigades.  I  have  very  able 
and  agreeable  staff  officers  with  me:  one  Major  Hoff- 
man, formerly  Prussian  engineer  officer,  who  later 
served  in  the  English-German  legion  during  the  Cri- 
mean War,  and  then  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  then 
with  Garibaldi  in  his  Sicilian-Neapolitan  campaign,  and 
finally  in  the  Piedmont  army;  one  Captain  Spraul,  for- 
mer Badish  Infantry  officer,  who  also  served  in  the 
English-German  legion  and  with  Garibaldi;  and  Fritz 
Tiedemann  and  Willy  Westendarp. 

We  are  all  well  and  cheerful.  Of  myself  I  can  say 
that  for  years  I  have  not  been  as  healthy  as  now.  The 
country  here  is  so  wondrously  beautiful,  the  mountains 
so  picturesque,  and  the  valleys  so  luxuriant  and  fruitful, 
that  in  peaceful  times  I  could  not  live  anywhere  more 


274  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

gladly  than  here.  But  the  way  this  glorious  land  suffers 
is  indescribable.  Both  armies  have  traversed  it  four 
times;  and  four  times  has  the  march  left  behind  it  the 
evidences  of  its  devastation.  But  what  a  temper  in  the 
population!  Every  drop  of  blood  is  secessionistic.  Al- 
though I  had  already  so  clearly  seen  the  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  ending  the  war  and  reestablishing  the  Union, 
despite  our  victories,  that  for  the  country's  sake  I  gave 
up  my  diplomatic  position  in  Europe,  yet  these  difficul- 
ties presented  themselves  with  redoubled  magnitude 
when  I  had  gained  on  the  ground  a  view  of  the  actual 
situation  of  things.  The  women  here  in  the  South  are  as 
if  possessed,  and  that  is  one  of  the  worst  symptoms. 

Now  let  me  beg  you,  dearest  parents,  have  no  wor- 
ries about  me.  I  shall  conduct  myself  with  prudence; 
I  know  my  position,  and  I  have  luck.  What  I  have  done 
was  done  out  of  pure  desire  and  feeling  of  duty.  This 
is  a  hard  time,  but  it  also  will  pass.  I  shall  do  you 
honor,  and  you  shall  not  have  cause  to  regret  what  I 
have  done.  If  you  need  anything,  write  me.  My  ad- 
dress is:  General  C.  Schurz,  Headquarters  of  General 
Fremont's  Army. 

Adieu  for  today.  I  will  write  as  often  as  possible. 
Keep  well  and  happy.  Hearty  greetings  to  the  entire 
family.    With  the  old  affection. 

Mrs.  Schurz  to  Her  Parents-in-law 

Near  Philadelphia,  July  15,  1862 
My  last  letter  I  sent  you  the  evening  before  my  de- 
parture to  see  Carl;  since  then  I  have  experienced  and 
endured  much,  and  now  that  I  have  again  come  to  rest 
I  am  moved  to  write  you  at  once. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  275 

Carl  was  near  Middletown  in  Virginia,  very  neatly 
quartered  in  a  farm  cottage,  and  he  wanted  to  see  me 
there.  Since  he  only  telegraphed,  "Come  immediately," 
I  was  greatly  frightened  and  was  soon  ready  to  depart. 
The  doctor's  wife  [Mrs.  Tiedemann]  and  I  started 
Monday  evening  at  eleven  o'clock,  were  in  Baltimore  at 
four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  two  the  next  day  in 
Martinsburg  (via  Harper's  Ferry).  We  were  met  at 
the  train  in  Martinsburg  by  Fritz  [Tiedemann],  with 
an  ambulance.  The  bridge  at  Harper's  Ferry  had  only 
just  been  restored.  We  saw  the  ruins  of  the  wrecked 
and  burned  houses,  burned-up  locomotives,  etc.  With- 
al, the  region  around  Harper's  Ferry  is  so  romantic 
that  it  reminded  me  of  Switzerland.  What  pain  it  gives 
one,  this  peace  of  nature  and  at  the  same  time  this 
destruction  caused  by  man !  In  the  ambulance  we  drove 
comfortably  and  without  worry  to  Winchester,  which 
was  twenty-two  miles  away.  We  started  off  cheerfully, 
for  the  impending  meeting  affected  us  powerfully. 

In  Winchester,  where  the  secessionists  treated  our 
leaders  so  abominably,  we  passed  the  night.  One  has  no 
conception  of  the  foulness  in  the  hotels  if  one  has  not 
been  there.  You  see  only  old  men  or  boys,  since  the 
others  are  all  in  the  southern  army.  The  harvest  looks 
fine,  but  they  have  no  people  to  do  the  work,  and  the 
wheat  has  already  become  quite  brown  and  will  doubt- 
less mostly  rot. 

We  drove  from  Winchester  Wednesday  morning 
about  eighteen  miles,  and  then  had  only  twelve  miles 
more  to  Middletown.  On  the  entire  route  we  met  only 
our  own  provision  wagons  and  saw  the  horses  of  our 
troops  feeding  in  the  high  wheat  fields.  Several  old 
farmers  stopped  us  and  begged  Fritz  with  quavering 


276  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

voices  to  forbid  the  men  to  burn  the  fences  and  destroy 
the  fields.    I  felt  sorry,  but  Fritz  has  no  pity  for  rebels. 

Dead  horses  lay  on  both  sides  of  the  road,  poisoning 
the  air ;  fences  were  no  longer  to  be  seen ;  men,  old  as  the 
hills,  were  in  the  fields  putting  forth  their  utmost  efforts. 
Here  and  there  we  saw  a  farmer  on  horseback  who  gazed 
at  us  with  uncanny  looks  and  often  caused  me  the  worst 
fright.  But  hurrah!  Here  we  were!  In  Middletown, 
before  a  nice  house,  Carl  stood  in  front  of  Sigel's  head- 
quarters ;  that  blessed  childlike  countenance  as  he  espied 
us !  Oh,  he  has  an  innocent  child's  countenance  when  he 
truly  rejoices.  Willy  was  also  on  his  high  horse  and 
hopes  soon  to  be  appointed  engineer  officer. 

We  greeted  Sigel,  who  remembered  me  well,  having 
seen  me  in  London;  and  then  rode  to  Carl's  lodging, 
which  is  but  a  mile  from  Sigel's.  Carl  stands  very 
well  with  Sigel,  and  for  Sigel's  appointment  we  have 
Carl  alone  to  thank.  He  and  the  assembled  officers 
would  have  resigned  if  Ruf  us  King  had  been  appointed. 
This  he  telegraphed  to  the  President,  whereupon  Sigel 
was  named.  Carl  and  his  staff  live  together  in  his  cot- 
tage, and  the  bureau  was  also  there.  You  know  Major 
Hoffman  is  chief  of  staff,  Fritz  and  Spraul  adjutants, 
Wermerskirch  quartermaster,  and  Willy  engineer. 
Spraul  and  Hoffman  are  able  leaders,  from  Garibaldi's 
staff,  and  Fritz  has  become  a  spirited,  energetic  young 
man.  I  am  enclosing  for  Father  the  picture  of  Joe  and 
Fritz.  We  spent  six  beautiful  days  with  Carl.  One 
day  we  ate  with  him  at  Sigel's  headquarters  at  noon, 
and  on  the  Fourth  of  July  Sigel  ate  with  us.  We  hung 
wreaths  everywhere.  We  helped  about  the  cooking, 
and  Carl  and  the  whole  staff  felt  themselves  very  for- 
tunate.   Carl  looks  very  well  and  feels  quite  contented. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  277 

His  troops  were  encamped  around  his  dwelling,  and 
the  encampment  in  the  woods  with  all  of  the  old  over- 
grown huts  looked  extremely  poetical.  I  often  walked 
with  Carl  through  the  camp,  and  when  he  offered  a 
"Good  morning,  men,"  a  hearty  "Good  morning,  Gen- 
eral" resounded  from  all  sides.  He  is  already  very 
popular  with  his  men.  He  immediately  took  care  to 
secure  new  clothing  and  new  provisions,  for  the  poor 
fellows  often  marched  twenty  miles  on  a  single  cracker. 
Now  things  are  different,  and  that  brings  great  content- 
ment. 

We  had  not  even  suspected  that  we  should  have  to 
go,  when  suddenly  the  order  to  march  came.  Oh,  how 
gladly  Carl  would  have  taken  me  along  and  how  gladly 
I  should  have  gone,  but  Sigel  considered  it  unadvisable, 
so  we  had  to  pack  up  hastily  and  return.  Oh,  if  only 
the  parting  had  not  been  necessary!  Monday  evening 
at  nine  o'clock  we  started — Mrs.  Tiedemann,  Mrs. 
Lyons,  whose  husband  is  on  Sigel's  staff,  and  I.  Every- 
thing happened  so  suddenly  and  Carl  was  so  unhappy 
about  it  that  I  hardly  know  how  I  was  able  to  leave  him. 
We  three  women,  alone  with  a  young  hostler,  drove 
through  the  night  over  that  dangerous  road  where  nine 
bushwhackers  had  been  captured  that  very  day.  In 
Martinsburg  General  Sigel,  who  was  on  his  way  to 
Washington,  joined  us.  He  was  astounded  that  Carl 
had  allowed  us  to  travel  in  that  manner  and  said  we 
ought  to  rejoice  that  we  got  through  so  fortunately. 

So  now  we  are  back  again  on  this  lonesome  farm, 
and  the  heat,  as  I  know  it  must  be  on  the  march,  causes 
me  much  worry.  I  fear  and  now  certainly  believe  that 
the  army  is  destined  for  Richmond,  for  McClellan  has 
shown  his  incapacity.     We  may  daily  expect  reports 


278  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

telling  us  that  Pope's  army  is  probably  already  near 
Richmond — and  the  climate  and  the  water  are  both  so 
bad  there!  I  wait  with  actual  impatience  for  Carl's 
letter  and  will  give  you  the  news  immediately  on  re- 
ceiving it.    I  pray  you  write  at  once. 

To  His  Parents 

Washington,  January  7,  1863 
At  last  a  short  respite  in  the  bosom  of  my  family  has 
been  vouchsafed  to  me.  I  came  here  from  the  camp  on 
New  Year's  Eve.  I  had  to  spend  Christmas  Eve  in  my 
little  tent  in  the  pine  forest  near  Stafford  [Va.].  That 
is  not  exactly  an  amusing  place,  particularly  at  a  time 
which  it  is  most  delightful  to  pass  in  the  home.  But 
enough  of  complaining.  I  have  now  enjoyed  eight  days' 
furlough  and  must  be  content  with  that. 

First  of  all,  much  happiness  in  the  new  year!  We 
all  need  it,  and  hence  this  wish  is  no  empty  form.  For 
you,  dear  Mother,  I  wish  above  everything  that  your 
health  may  soon  be  restored.  I  wish  for  you  both,  dear 
parents,  that  your  children  and  grandchildren  may  soon 
be  gathered  around  you.  When  that  may  be  I  know 
not,  but  it  will  perhaps  come  sooner  than  we  expect. 
Fortune  has  been  favorable  so  far  and  I  am  accustomed 
to  count  somewhat  on  its  favor.  We  shall  doubtless 
meet  soon  again.  Do  not  worry.  And  I  am  certain,  too, 
that  Edmund  and  I  shall  come  through  this  war  with 
honor.  We  are  no  cowards,  and  fortune  will  not  desert 
the  brave. 

I  would  have  written  earlier  and  oftener  had  not 
the  business  of  my  command  kept  me  steadily  in  action. 
Even  when  the  army  is  in  camp  there  is  work  to  do 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  279 

every  minute,  and  if  one  will  have  his  affairs  in  good  or- 
der he  must  concern  himself  about  every  detail.  Ac- 
cordingly, I  get  at  letter- writing  only  rarely;  even  here 
in  Washington  it  is  not  often  that  I  have  quiet  for 
fifteen  minutes  consecutively. 

It  is  very  doubtful  when  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
will  resume  operations.  It  has  long  since  recovered 
from  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg.  Indeed  the  army 
has  never  been  in  better  condition.  But  we  encounter 
here  a  multitude  of  terrain  difficulties  which  are  absent 
from  the  western  theatre  of  war,  and  the  impossibility 
of  provisioning  so  great  an  army  from  this  completely 
denuded  country  has  hindered  almost  every  movement. 
Of  course  the  thing  must  go,  and  if  the  ability  of  one 
general  proves  inadequate  he  will  simply  have  to  give 
place  to  another. 

I  must  say  my  hopes  have  become  lively  again.  The 
government,  having  burned  the  bridges  behind  it  by  the 
Emancipation  Proclamation,  comes  daily  to  a  clearer 
realization  of  the  necessities  which  control  us.  In  the 
bravery  of  the  army  I  have  more  confidence  than  ever, 
and  I  am  sure  we  shall  have  great  success  once  the  gov- 
ernment shall  have  restored  harmony  in  the  organiza- 
tion. 

As  soon  as  I  return  to  my  command  I  may  be  able 
to  tell  you  something  more  definite  about  the  possibility 
of  bringing  Edmund61  over  into  our  army  corps. 

Once  again,  heartiest  New  Year's  wishes.  Do  not 
be  aggrieved  if  I  write  but  rarely,  and  do  not  think,  on 
that  account,  that  you  are  the  less  in  my  thought.  With 
hearty  greetings  to  the  entire  family. 

81  Edmund  Jiissen,  Carl  Schurz's  cousin  and  the  husband  of  his  youngest 
sister,  Antonie. 


280  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

To  His  Parents 

Camp  near  Stafford  Couht  House 
March  26,  1863 

I  returned  today  from  a  short  furlough  granted  on 
account  of  illness  (I  had  the  jaundice).  Margarethe 
visited  me  here  just  as  I  began  to  feel  sick.  I  then  went 
with  her,  spending  several  days  in  Washington  and 
some  ten  days  in  Philadelphia.  I  am  now  fully  restored 
and  can  again  fulfill  my  duties  in  the  army. 

I  am  now  actually  major  general,  and  during  the 
absence  of  General  Sigel,  who  has  an  indefinite  leave, 
I  shall  have  command  of  the  Eleventh  Army  Corps.  In 
case  Sigel  should  not  return,  which  is  quite  probable,  I 
hope  to  have  definite  charge  of  the  corps.  They  are 
exceptional  troops,  and  I  believe  I  shall  be  able  to  do 
something  notable  with  them.  The  next  campaign  will 
probably  be  a  very  lively  one.  The  army  is  in  good  con- 
dition and  once  more  in  the  best  of  morale.  General 
Hooker,  who  has  shown  much  energy  and  activity, 
possesses  the  confidence  of  the  troops  in  high  measure. 
He  has  what  all  commanders  of  this  army  who  preceded 
him  lacked,  the  first  element  of  military  success — self- 
confidence.  So  we  look  forward  with  hopefulness  to 
whatever  may  come.  At  present  the  roads  are  in  such 
condition  that  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  move.  They  will 
doubtless  continue  so  for  a  couple  of  weeks.  Then, 
however,  I  trust  you  will  hear  a  good  report  of  us — and 
particularly  of  me. 

Your  first  letter,  dear  father,  I  received  just  as  I 
became  ill.  .  .  .  Margarethe  and  the  children  are  well. 
They  live  in  Philadelphia  and  have  very  pleasant  rooms. 
You  can  imagine  that  the  parting  was  exceedingly  hard, 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  281 

for  the  near  approach  of  a  new  campaign  makes  it  im- 
probable that  we  shall  see  one  another  again  soon.  Pos- 
sibly Margarethe  will  make  a  journey  to  you  this  sum- 
mer, and  I  wish  it  sincerely.  .  .  . 

The  political  situation  seems  to  me  to  have  improved 
greatly.  In  general  there  is  more  confidence,  and  de- 
termination to  bring  the  war  to  an  end.  Also,  the  fi- 
nances of  the  government  are  distinctly  better  than 
formerly. 

Keep  well,  dear  parents,  and  write  to  me  often  even 
if,  because  of  my  many  activities,  I  cannot  answer  as 
frequently  as  I  should  like.  I  hope  to  do  you  honor. 
Remain  well,  and  think  with  love  upon.  .  .  . 

To  His  Parents 

Bethlehem  [Pennsylvania] 
September  10,  1863 
I  have  finally  succeeded  in  securing  a  couple  of 
weeks'  furlough  and  have  been  able  to  spend  several 
days  with  Margarethe  and  the  children.  You  can 
imagine  that  we  have  been  very  happy  together.  I  had 
an  attack  of  camp  fever,  and  the  rest  in  quiet  Bethle- 
hem does  me  good.  .  .  .  Of  course  I  am  still  tall  and 
thin  as  formerly,  but  I  am  looking  well  and  they  say  I 
have  become  distinctly  broader.  This  much  is  certain, 
that  the  strenuous  exertions  of  war  have  so  far  had  no 
unfavorable  influence  upon  my  health.  On  the  con- 
trary, I  feel  healthiest  when  we  knock  about  most.  I 
would  gladly  have  used  my  furlough  for  paying  you  a 
visit  in  the  West,  but  the  time  was  so  short  that  I 
should  have  had  hardly  a  day  for  rest.  And  since  I 
should  have  had  to  take  the  whole  family  the  journey 


282  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

would  have  been  more  expensive  that  I  could  bear  at 
this  moment.  So  I  have  had  to  defer  it  until  winter, 
when  it  can  probably  be  done  better.  .  .  .  My  furlough 
will  be  out  on  the  seventeenth,  when  I  must  go  back  to 
my  command.  Matters  have  finally  come  to  a  point 
where  we  can  have  well-grounded  hopes  for  an  early 
conclusion  of  the  war.  Our  army,  strengthened  by  the 
draft,  must  finally  give  the  coup  de  grace  to  the  re- 
bellion— but  let  us  not  set  our  hopes  too  high. 
With  the  old  love  and  with  hearty  greeting. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Camp  at  Catlett  Station,  Virginia 
September  24,  1863 
Nothing  could  have  been  a  more  joyful  surprise 
than  your  letter.  I  recognized  the  handwriting  again 
instantly.  I  should  have  discovered  it  among  hundreds. 
Far  separated  in  space  and  time,  we  may  have  dropped 
out  of  each  other's  life  and  sight;  but  the  recollections 
of  the  cherished  days  of  youth,  when  we  clung  together 
like  brothers,  nothing  can  destroy  in  me.  I  still  see  you 
as  I  used  to  see  you  in  our  Gymnasium  years  in  Cologne. 
We  were  at  an  age  when  a  couple  of  years'  difference 
means  much.  I  was  younger  than  you,  bashful  by 
nature,  with  the  budding  consciousness  of  strength 
which  I  did  not  yet  rightly  trust.  You  had  already 
ripened  to  a  certain  manliness  which  to  me  had  some- 
thing imposing  about  it.  You  spoke  out  with  boldness 
what  I  often  thought  but  hardly  dared  to  express.  I 
often  wondered  how  you  could  become  thus  attached  to 
me,  and  did  not  understand  it.  When  I  now  recall  how 
far  ahead  of  me  you  were  at  that  time  I  still  do  not  un- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  283 

derstand  it.  I  leaned  upon  you  with  enthusiastic  friend- 
ship; you  drew  me  out  of  the  narrow  sphere  which  my 
circumstances  and  training  built  about  me  and  gave  me 
a  glimpse  into  life.  You  taught  me  first  to  overcome 
my  anxious  bashfulness.  I  have  to  thank  you  for  every 
encouraging  word,  because  you  were  the  first  to  awake 
in  me  the  consciousness  that  I  did  not  belong  to  the 
commonplace.  Then,  when  I  had  just  gained  courage 
to  stand  on  my  own  feet  and  the  ability  to  be  something 
to  you,  the  vortex  of  life  seized  us  both  and  drew  us 
asunder.  And  only  now  do  I  receive  a  word  from  you 
and  you  from  me. 

I  cannot  recall  without  emotion  that  time  of  enthu- 
siasm which  kept  the  heart  so  warm  and  so  receptive  to 
the  beautiful  and  the  great.  Men  may  laugh  at  ideals, 
because  they  often  contrast  so  strongly  with  reality. 
Enthusiasm  is,  nevertheless,  the  finest  thing  in  man;  so 
long  as  it  lives  Youth  does  not  die. 

You  have  told  me  about  your  history,  and  I  re- 
joice to  see  what  was  attainable  to  you  in  your  sphere 
of  life  over  there.  To  that  which  you  know  about  me 
I  can  add  but  little.  I  ended  my  refugee  life  in  London 
in  the  year  1852  because  I  found  its  instability  unen- 
durable and  longed  for  a  productive  activity.  I  lived 
here  in  America  for  several  years  in  quiet  retirement  in 
the  happiest  family  circle.  I  wish  you  knew  my  wife. 
She  is  much  better  than  I,  and  we  have  two  precious 
children.    I  studied,  observed,  and  learned  much. 

Finally,  in  the  year  1856,  as  the  movement  against 
slavery  spread  tremendously,  I  found  myself  drawn 
into  public  life.  I  knew  that  I  could  accomplish  some- 
thing worth  while.  America  is  the  country  for  striving 
talent,  and  the  foreigner  who  studies  conditions  here 


284  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

fundamentally  and  knows  how  to  appreciate  them  can 
open  for  himself  an  even  greater  career  than  the  native- 
born.  My  success  surprised  even  me.  I  saw  my  boldest 
expectations  exceeded.  I  suddenly  found  that  I  had 
become  a  celebrity  in  America.  I  threw  myself  un- 
reservedly into  the  antislavery  movement  and  therein 
showed  the  Americans  something  new.  The  broad 
German  conception  of  life  which  opened  to  them  wider 
horizons ;  the  peculiar  speech  of  the  foreigner  which,  al- 
though modeled  upon  the  best  patterns  of  English 
literature,  still  indulged  in  a  multitude  of  unfamiliar 
variations;  the  power  of  true  conviction  which  is  not 
found  too  often  in  its  purity,  all  of  these  things  had  a 
rare  attraction  for  Americans;  and  so  I  won,  perhaps 
more  quickly  than  anyone  here  in  this  country,  a  con- 
tinental reputation;  a  reputation  which  in  many  par- 
ticulars exceeded  my  deserts.  My  activities  were  very 
extended  and  had  a  large  and  direct  influence  upon  the 
political  development  of  the  country.  I  have  been  told 
that  I  made  Lincoln  president.  That  is,  of  course,  not 
true,  but  that  people  say  so  indicates  that  I  contributed 
something  toward  raising  the  breeze  which  carried  Lin- 
coln into  the  presidential  chair  and  thereby  shook  slavery 
in  its  foundations.  I  devoted  my  whole  strength  to  it 
and  became  exceedingly  wearied  with  the  herculean 
labor. 

As  happens  in  moments  of  exhaustion,  I  sought  rest. 
For  that  reason  I  went  as  minister  to  Spain,  but  I  soon 
found  that  rest  at  a  time  like  this  was  for  me  the  most 
irritating  exertion.  The  rebellion  which  is  to  decide 
the  future  of  this  country  quickly  reached  enormous 
proportions.  The  noise  of  the  struggle  penetrated  even 
to  my  hermitage  in  Madrid.    It  became  uncanny  to  me 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  285 

in  my  quiet.  The  enforced  apathy  of  insipid  diplomatic 
life  was  terribly  oppressive  to  my  temperament  and  my 
conscience.  Then  the  news  of  the  first  great  disaster 
to  our  army,  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  came  like  a  thun- 
der-clap. I  immediately  begged  the  President  to  recall 
me.  I  belonged  to  the  party  that  had  brought  on  the 
crisis;  I  could  not  avoid  the  chances  of  the  struggle. 
Finally,  in  December,  1861,  I  received  a  leave  of  ab- 
sence, returned  hither  at  once,  laid  down  my  minister- 
ship, made  another  effort  to  induce  the  government  to 
adopt  the  policy  of  emancipation,  thus  smoothing  the 
way  among  the  people,  and  then  entered  the  army.  In 
the  course  of  the  summer  campaign  of  1862  I  was  ad- 
vanced to  the  position  of  major  general,  the  highest 
rank  one  can  attain  in  the  army  of  the  United  States.  I 
shall  doubtless  continue  in  service  to  the  end  of  the  war. 
Then  I  will  return  to  my  old  activities  with  the  satis- 
faction not  only  of  having  labored  definitely  for  the 
future  of  this  country,  but  also  of  having  loyally  shared 
its  fate. 

In  the  political  phases  of  the  new  developments 
which  this  revolution  must  produce,  I  shall  undoubtedly 
have  an  important  part  and  my  voice  will  be  heard. 
This  is  the  bright  external  side  of  my  life.  I  have  la- 
bored much,  struggled  much,  endured  much,  and  also 
suffered  much — so  much  that  I  needed  strong  convic- 
tions to  keep  me  upright.  How  often  in  moments  of 
irritation  have  I  wished  I  could  be  one  of  those  who,  in 
humble  occupation,  can  eat  their  bread  in  peace  with 
their  loved  ones!  The  petty  jealousy  of  the  German 
who  would  rather  subordinate  himself  to  natives  than 
to  a  fellow  countryman  who  overtops  him;  the  ambi- 
tions of  the  native  who  begrudges  the  foreigner  his  in- 


286  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

fluence  and  his  distinction;  the  poisonous  slanders  of 
the  political  opponent  to  whom  not  even  personal  honor 
is  sacred,  all  of  this  has  caused  me  many  bitter  hours. 
I  might  have  worked  myself  up  to  that  sovereign  con- 
tempt of  men  which  is  said  to  make  a  man  great,  but 
that  is  against  my  nature.  I  would  rather  remain  insig- 
nificant. I  love  people  in  spite  of  themselves  and 
possess  that  invincible  confidence  which,  deceived  a 
thousand  times,  is  also  a  thousand  times  revived.  This 
is  perhaps  artless  but  I  cannot  do  otherwise,  and  that 
keeps  me  young  and  cheerful  and  hopeful. 

The  main  thing  is  this:  that  in  a  calling  such  as 
mine  a  man  should  not  permit  himself  to  be  ruled  by  a 
false  ambition.  The  ambition  to  do  something  can  be 
boundless,  but  it  must  free  itself  from  the  ambition  to 
be  something.  I  am  glad  to  have  gained  official  posi- 
tions which,  according  to  the  usual  interpretation,  are 
brilliant.  I  have  learned  to  recognize  their  worthless- 
ness,  for  they  have  never  contributed  to  my  inner  satis- 
faction. I  believe  that  I  could  now,  without  regret, 
cast  from  me  a  crown  if  I  had  it.  Such  things  are  only 
means  to  an  end  and  as  such  are  perhaps  sometimes  of 
consequence.  I  have  happily  come  to  the  point  where 
externalities  no  longer  have  any  temptation  for  me.  I 
believe  I  am  able  to  say  that  in  practice  I  have  become 
a  better  Republican  even  than  in  theory. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Camp  near  Bridgeport,  Alabama 
October  3,  1863 
My  letter  has  remained  untouched  for  several  days 
because   I   was   suddenly  interrupted  by  a  marching 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  287 

order.  We  had  to  be  ready  in  twelve  hours  and  then 
two  army  corps  made  a  twelve-hundred-mile  journey 
by  rail.  Rosecrans  lost  the  battle  of  Chickamauga  and 
we  came  to  his  aid.  Now  the  enemy  cavalry  has  ap- 
peared in  our  rear  and  threatens  our  lines  of  communi- 
cation.   That  will  delay  my  letter  some  days  longer. 

I  suspect  that  some  things  in  our  military  practices 
must  be  inexplicable  to  you  European  soldiers.  Our 
armies  can  nowhere  live  off  the  country,  and  the  dis- 
tances we  are  obliged  to  traverse  are  tremendous.  The 
distance  between  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  and  its 
nearest  depot  is  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles — a  stretch 
which,  long  as  it  is,  has  to  be  protected  in  the  most  care- 
ful manner  at  every  single  point;  for  the  burning  of  a 
railway  bridge  might  threaten  the  existence  of  the  army. 
Such  circumstances  change  the  whole  manner  of  con- 
ducting a  war.  Only  think  that  since  the  outbreak  of 
the  war,  namely,  since  the  summer  of  1861,  our  armies 
have  seen  no  cantonment.  The  soldiers  have  been 
obliged  to  bivouac  summer  and  winter  without  the 
slightest  relief.  That,  of  course,  costs  an  enormous 
number  of  men,  the  armies  melt  away  with  the  greatest 
rapidity,  and  it  requires  the  highest  tenacity  on  the 
part  of  the  government  and  the  people  to  sustain  the 
conflict  from  year  to  year.  There  is  perhaps  no  people 
on  earth  who  would  not  have  been  appalled  by  the 
enormity  of  the  misfortunes  overtaking  us  and  the 
greatness  of  the  sacrifices  which  had  to  be  made.  What 
a  tremendous  problem  and  what  a  mighty  cause !  I  am 
happy  to  live  in  this  country  at  this  time.  In  compari- 
son with  the  splendid  goal,  what  are  our  little  suffer- 
ings and  our  individual  sacrifices!  Slavery  is  being 
driven  out  of  its  last  citadel;  the  insulted  dignity  of 


288  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

human  nature  has  been  avenged.  The  people  of  the 
new  world  are  taking  an  immeasurable  step  forward  in 
its  cleansing  and  ennobling.  And  out  of  this  republic 
we  shall  make  an  empire  in  relation  to  which,  speaking 
Carl  Moorishly,  Rome  was  a  pre-school  affair.  In  this 
nation,  the  sum,  the  amalgam  of  all  civilized  nations, 
there  is  a  Titanic  strength  which  will  draw  humanity 
forward  like  a  giant  locomotive.  Old  Europe  is  going 
to  feel  its  power. 

But  let  me  return  to  ourselves  once  more.  In  read- 
ing over  what  I  wrote  to  you  in  Virginia  I  am  almost 
frightened  at  the  amount  I  wrote  about  myself.  But 
it  seemed  to  me  I  had  to  open  my  heart  again  in  the  old 
confidential  way.  So  you  are  really  thinking  of  coming 
over  here  to  us?  How  delightful  it  would  be;  and  my 
first  impulse  was  to  write  you,  "Come  at  any  cost."  But 
we  have  reached  an  age  at  which  we  cannot  allow  our- 
selves to  be  carried  away  by  pleasant  wishes.  We  must 
consider  what  you  would  have  to  give  up  and  what  you 
might  hope  to  find. 

I  believe  it  would  be  possible  for  me  to  secure  for 
you  immediately  an  officer's  commission  in  the  volunteer 
army.  But  the  army  here  is  not  what  it  is  over  there. 
Some  day  the  war  will  end ;  the  army  will  disappear  and 
everybody  will  return  to  civil  life.  The  so-called  regu- 
lar army  will  of  course  remain,  but  it  is  a  small  and  ex- 
clusive institution.  It  is  hard  for  the  foreigner  to  find 
a  place  in  it,  and  it  would  be  foolish  to  build  a  plan  of 
life  on  this  slight  possibility.  I  do  not  know  indeed 
whether  it  would  suit  you  here,  for  everything  here  is 
different  from  Europe ;  and  however  happy  I  should  be 
to  see  you  here,  what  if  I  should  see  you  unhappy? 


X 


a  < 


< 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  289 

But  could  not  things  be  arranged  so  you  could  come 
here  without  losing  your  position  over  there?  To  give 
up  for  an  uncertainty  a  position  which  you  have  built 
up  through  the  years  with  so  much  effort  and  pains — I 
would  perhaps  advise  you  to  do  it  if  I  were  not  so 
warmly  and  sincerely  your  friend.  I  would,  of  course, 
offer  you  whatever  I  possess  in  the  way  of  influence,  but 
what  does  that  amount  to?  Some  day  the  government 
will  change,  and  who  knows  whether  I  shall  have  friends 
in  the  new  administration? 

When  you  write  me  again,  will  you  tell  me  what  has 
become  of  the  friends  who  were  with  us  in  Cologne 
and  in  Bonn?  I  am  sending  you  my  picture.  We  must 
see  ourselves  bodily  in  order  to  revivify  all  recollections. 
I  am  enclosing  herewith  the  only  one  I  could  find  here ; 
one  of  my  adjutants  had  it.  Farewell,  and  let  me  hear 
from  you  soon.  My  wife,  who  has  read  many  of  your 
old  letters  of  our  delightful  period — for  I  have  pre- 
served them — has  become  fond  of  you  through  them 
and  greets  you  heartily. 

To  His  Daughter  Agathe 

Camp  in  Lookout  Valley,  Tennessee 
November  9,  1863 

This  evening  it  is  so  delightfully  warm  and  pleasant 
in  my  tent;  my  fire  burns  brightly,  and  out  yonder  in 
the  camp  I  hear  the  retiring  signal.  Now  I  will  answer 
your  dear  letter. 

I  am  very  glad  indeed  that  you  wrote  to  me,  and  the 
news  which  you  give  is  exceedingly  agreeable.  It  is 
nice  that  you  are  once  more  going  to  school,  and  if  you 
will  be  industrious  I  do  not  doubt  that  you  will  soon 


290  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

overtake  the  big  girls  in  your  acquirements.  I  have  an 
idea  that  you  are  somewhat  behind  in  your  arithmetic, 
and  you  should  apply  yourself  particularly  in  that  sub- 
ject. Arithmetic  must  be  practiced,  and  when  you  have 
made  some  progress  therein  you  will  pursue  it  with 
genuine  pleasure.  Geography  will  be  particularly  easy 
for  you.  You  have  already  seen  many  more  strange 
lands  than  most  children  of  your  age  and  you  will  be 
able  to  find  on  the  map  many  widely  separated  places 
in  which  you  have  already  been.  You  always  enjoyed 
world  history,  and  that  pleases  me  greatly.  It  is  the 
most  educative  and  the  pleasantest  of  all  studies.  I  de- 
sire also  that  you  pursue  your  piano  playing  industri- 
ously and  that  you  learn  to  draw.  That  is  an  activity 
which  is  equally  pleasant  and  useful,  and  a  source  of  sat- 
isfaction throughout  life.  You  have  observed  how  much 
pleasure  Mama  and  I  get  out  of  music,  and  I  have 
often  regretted  that  I  did  not  learn  drawing  properly. 
But  now  my  youth  is  past.  I  am  almost  too  old  to 
learn  new  things,  and  besides  I  have  too  many  other 
things  to  do. 

I  am  sure,  dear  Hans,  that  you  will  do  everything  to 
give  your  mother  and  me  pleasure  and  cause  to  be 
satisfied  with  you.  We  love  you  with  all  our  hearts, 
and  you  of  course  love  your  parents  in  the  same  way. 
It  is  a  great  happiness  to  have  good  children,  and  this 
happiness  you  will  surely  bestow  upon  us.  Your  good 
mother  suffers  a  great  deal  on  account  of  my  absence, 
and  you  must  make  it  as  easy  as  possible  for  her  to 
bear  her  loneliness  and  her  anxiety  about  me.  Per- 
haps you  do  not  yet  understand  how  much  you  can  help 
towards  that  end. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  291 

I  am  engaged  in  a  war  for  a  very  great  and  holy 
cause,  whose  decision  will  have  tremendous  results  for 
the  future  of  the  human  race.  For  that  reason  I  am 
bringing  to  it  great  sacrifice  and  often  endure  want  and 
weariness  and  danger.  In  all  of  this,  the  consciousness 
of  having  in  you  a  good  child  is  a  very  great  consolation. 
I  think  of  you  often,  every  day,  with  much  love  and 
much  confidence,  and  I  know  you  do  everything  to  make 
me  proud  of  you. 

You  must  not  think  however,  my  good  Hans,  that 
things  are  going  badly  with  us  here.  My  little  tent  is  a 
genuine  picture  of  comfort;  it  is  as  warm  here  as  in  a 
stone  house.  Also,  I  have  received  a  present  of  a  feather 
bed,  so  that  I  sleep  as  soft  as  a  prince.  We  have  plenty 
of  provisions,  and  though  there  is  no  great  variety  of 
food  there  is  also  no  deficiency.  It  is  sometimes  a  good 
thing  to  be  obliged  to  give  up  things  which  one  generally 
considers  necessary,  for  that  gives  us  a  satisfaction 
which  is  a  source  of  content  for  life. 

Actually,  we  soldiers  live  much  better  than  the  na- 
tives of  the  country.  You  have  no  conception  of  the 
poverty  which  prevails  here.  The  people  live  in  log 
houses  in  which  the  chinks  between  the  logs  are  en- 
tirely open  so  that  light  and  air  pass  through.  Natur- 
ally our  tents  are  much  tighter  and  better.  Women 
and  men  are  dressed  in  the  most  poverty-stricken  way 
and  live  almost  exclusively  on  corn  bread  and  pork. 
Nearly  all  females  smoke  and  chew  tobacco.  And  then 
they  are  so  ignorant  that  the  knowledge  of  reading  and 
writing  is  a  great  rarity  among  them.  The  difference 
between  this  population  and  that  which  we  see  in  the 
North  is  tremendous.  But  there  is  a  quite  natural  cause 
for  it.     In  this  country,  the  state  of  Tennessee,  which 


292  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

you  can  easily  find  on  the  map,  slavery  prevails.  There 
are  here  a  few  rich  people  who  own  many  negroes. 
These  negroes  do  all  the  work  for  them  and  the  rich 
gentlemen  therefore  gain  the  idea  that  they  themselves 
were  not  born  to  work  but  rather  to  govern  and  rule. 
They  did  not  want  to  rule  merely  their  negroes  but  also, 
particularly,  the  poor  white  people  who  did  not  have 
enough  money  to  buy  slaves  and  for  that  reason  were 
forced  to  work  themselves.  In  order  to  rule  them  bet- 
ter the  rich  people  sought  to  keep  the  poor  ignorant,  and 
so  it  came  about  that  there  are  very  few  schools  here 
and  most  people  have  enjoyed  no  instruction  whatever. 
Since  they  know  nothing  of  the  many  discoveries  and 
appliances  which  have  been  made  during  the  past  cen- 
tury they  remain  poor  and  miserable. 

For  these  people  and  their  children  the  present  war 
is  a  genuine  blessing,  for  it  shakes  them  out  of  their 
sleepiness  and  brings  them  in  touch  with  keener  and 
more  active  people.  They  become  aware  how  miserable 
their  condition  is ;  their  indolent  habits  are  interfered 
with;  they  are  compelled  to  help  themselves  and  are 
thereby  forced  to  turn  their  thoughts  toward  new  things. 
They  hear  how  very  different  life  is  in  other  sections  of 
the  country,  and  later,  when  in  the  train  of  this  war 
other  people  come  to  settle  here,  they  will  be  influenced 
by  the  industry  around  them;  for  the  country  itself  is 
beautiful  and  fruitful,  and  an  industrious  people  could 
live  happily  and  amass  much  wealth.  That  will  cer- 
tainly happen  after  the  war,  for  the  northern  men  who 
came  down  here  with  the  army  already  see  what  beauti- 
ful regions  there  are  in  the  South  and  what  splendid 
opportunities  can  be  found  here  for  human  activity. 
So  you  see  how  good  can  come  out  of  evil.    The  war  is 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  293 

certainly  in  itself  a  very  great  misfortune  and  brings 
frightful  distress  to  large  numbers.  But  some  of  its 
results  will  be  highly  beneficial  to  mankind. 

Now,  my  dear  Agathe,  I  must  say  adieu  for  today. 
Love  me  much;  be  good  to  our  little  Pussy  [Marianna], 
who,  as  you  know,  has  not  yet  attained  the  age  of  dis- 
cretion and  must  be  gently  dealt  with ;  be  dutiful  toward 
Mama;  and  write  me  soon  again.  You  will  give  me 
great  joy  thereby. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Camp  near  Chattanooga 
December  17,  1863 

To  the  joyful  surprise  which  your  first  letter  gave 
me  you  have  now  added  a  second.  Just  now  I  returned 
from  our  Knoxville  expedition,  alighted  from  my  horse, 
and  found  your  dear  letter  of  November  29  in  my  tent. 
It  must  have  been  here  for  several  days.  We  marched 
almost  three  weeks  without  any  communication  with  the 
main  army  in  order  to  maneuver  the  enemy  out  of  east 
Tennessee,  which  was  effectually  done.  During  this 
entire  time  we  knew  nothing  of  the  world,  and  the  world 
knew  nothing  of  us.  We  received  neither  letters  nor 
newspapers,  nor  could  send  any.  Now  at  last  we  can 
gaze  beyond  our  outposts. 

I  received  your  first  letter  during  October  in  Bridge- 
port, Alabama.  I  answered  it  immediately  and  quite 
fully,  but  the  journey  of  my  letter  to  its  destination  was 
doubtless  very  slow.  Perhaps  it  was  forwarded  to  you 
from  Europe. 

Weary  and  exhausted  as  I  am,  I  can  today  only  ac- 
knowledge the  receipt  of  your  letter  from  Dorchester 


294  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

and  bid  you  and  your  wife  a  most  hearty  welcome.  I 
shall  be  unable  tonight  to  open  up  new  prospects  to  you 
or  give  any  advice;  for  I  have  thus  far  not  had  time  to 
reflect  and — pardon  me — I  must  also  get  some  sleep 
first.  So  you  must  be  satisfied  with  these  few  lines. 
Tomorrow  or  next  day  I  will  write  more.  That  you 
can  count  on  me  in  every  respect  goes  without  say- 
ing. My  wife  is  in  New  York  with  our  children  and  I 
know  she  would  be  infinitely  glad  to  see  you.  She  knows 
you  from  my  accounts  of  you  and  your  letters — the  old 
ones,  that  is,  which  I  still  have.  You  can  learn  her  ad- 
dress at  the  mercantile  house  of  Sinclair  and  Rose  in 
New  York.  I  would  gladly  take  a  couple  of  weeks' 
furlough  if  I  could,  but  I  fear  that  under  existing  cir- 
cumstances it  would  be  impossible. 

You  may  expect  another  letter  from  me  in  a  few 
days,  in  which  I  will  answer  your  questions  fully,  so  far 
as  it  can  be  done  from  here.  By  that  time  I  shall  per- 
haps have  some  plan  to  suggest.  For  the  present  ac- 
cept hearty,  most  hearty,  greetings. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Lookout  Valley,  Tennessee 
December  23,  1863 

Finally  I  have  achieved  so  much  quiet  that  I  can  un- 
dertake to  answer  your  queries  with  a  certain  amount  of 
reflection.    The  problem  is  not  as  easy  as  it  seems. 

To  secure  for  you  an  officer's  commission  would  not 
be  so  difficult,  but  I  should  not  like  to  see  you  in  the 
army  under  the  rank  of  major.  Advancement  to  the 
captaincy  comes  quickly;  also  sometimes  from  major 
upwards;  but  whoever  is  the  youngest  of  the  ten  cap- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  295 

tains  in  the  regiment  must  arm  himself  with  patience, 
and  could  I  today  offer  you  a  captain's  position  I  would 
advise  you  not  to  take  it  but  rather  to  wait  patiently 
until  there  shall  be  a  vacancy  in  a  staff  officer's  post. 
The  latter  will  probably  happen  in  the  near  future  on 
my  own  staff. 

Now  I  am  going  to  give  you  something  to  consider 
in  connection  with  this  business.  The  army  as  it  now 
exists  is  not  a  permanent  institution,  and  a  position  in 
it  is  only  temporary.  As  soon  as  the  war  is  over  we  are 
going  home.  Since  we  want  to  act  with  prudent  fore- 
thought I  suggest  you  consider  the  following :  The  time 
you  might  spend  in  the  army  is  wasted  in  so  far  as  it 
could  have  been  turned  toward  seeking  out  a  proper  and 
definite  life  position.  On  the  other  hand,  your  entrance 
into  the  army  would  give  you  time  and  opportunity  to 
make  yourself  sufficiently  confident  in  the  use  of  our 
language.  Besides,  it  would  guarantee  your  living 
financially  up  to  the  end  of  the  war. 

Were  I  with  you,  or  could  I  spend  a  couple  of  weeks 
in  New  York  or  Boston,  I  could  speak  more  responsibly. 
But  since  my  entrance  into  the  army  I  have  been  con- 
fined to  the  life  of  the  camp  and  the  campaign,  and  have 
become  unfamiliar  with  civil  activities,  their  chances 
and  opportunities.  .  .  . 

I  wish  above  all  you  could  find  it  possible  to  go  to 
New  York  and  visit  my  wife.  She  would  at  once  gain 
entree  for  you  into  an  extensive  circle  of  excellent,  and 
in  some  cases  influential,  friends ;  and  I  know  it  would 
give  her  the  most  genuine  and  great  pleasure.  Your 
wife,  who  probably  still  feels  somewhat  strange  here 
in  this  country,  would  have  in  her  a  hearty  friend  and 
find  much  encouragement  and  good  cheer  in  her  friends' 


296  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

company.  I  believe  that  to  remove  from  Boston  to  New 
York  would  under  existing  circumstances  be  the  best 
thing  you  could  do.  Boston,  although  it  is  my  favorite 
American  city,  is  for  the  unknown  newcomer  a  some- 
what exclusive  place.  There  are  splendid  people  there, 
but  one  has  to  know  America  in  order  rightly  to  find 
himself  there. 

I  wish  heartily  I  might  secure  a  furlough  of  some 
weeks  and  assist  you  personally,  but  just  at  present  I 
cannot  get  away.  The  Eleventh  Army  Corps,  to  which 
I  belong,  has  shriveled  up  so  much  through  a  succession 
of  battles  and  hard  campaigns — at  Bull  Run  my  losses 
amounted  to  twenty-six  per  cent,  at  Chancellorsvilie 
twenty-three  per  cent,  at  Gettysburg  nearly  sixty  per 
cent — that  we  are  now  to  be  strengthened  and  reorgan- 
ized; since  I  am  second  in  command  in  the  corps  and 
have  to  assume  a  personal  interest  in  it,  I  cannot  leave, 
at  least  not  until  the  reorganization  has  been  completed. 
I  regret  this  all  the  more  because  we  shall  probably  lie 
still  for  several  weeks  and  camp  life  in  this  uninhabited 
region,  despairingly  desolate,  is  monotonous  and  bore- 
some.  Besides,  the  condition  of  the  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland is  one  nowise  to  be  envied.  We  have  indeed 
gained  one  of  the  most  brilliant  victories  of  the  war,  a 
victory  which  you  would  find  unbelievable  could  you 
have  seen  the  position  out  of  which  we  drove  the  enemy. 
But  after  this  victory  we  are  unable  to  move.  Our  lines 
of  communication  are  so  long  and  our  transport  so  in- 
adequate that  we  have  hardly  been  able  to  supply  pro- 
visions for  our  troops.  The  country  within  a  radius 
of  twenty  to  thirty  miles  is  totally  desolated  and  affords 
absolutely  nothing  more.  We  were  forced  to  send  back 
our  field  artillery  to  the  railway  stations  on  the  other 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  297 

side  of  the  Tennessee  because  we  could  no  longer  feed 
the  horses.  .  .  . 

Now  let  me  hear  from  you  as  soon  as  possible.  The 
letter  to  the  governor  of  Massachusetts  I  have  cast  in 
such  form  that  it  alone  should  secure  you  the  acquain- 
tanceship of  his  and  my  friends.  My  heartiest  greeting 
to  your  wife. 

To  His  Parents 

Lookout  Valley,  Tennessee 
January  24,  1864 

Your  dear  letter  of  December  15  was  received  and 
I  thank  you  heartily  for  it.  It  was  the  best  gift  you 
could  have  sent  me.  I  wrote  to  you  toward  the  end  of 
December  and  sent  the  letter  by  a  soldier  going  on  fur- 
lough, who  was  to  have  posted  it  in  Louisville — for  our 
postal  arrangements  are  of  the  most  miserable  kind. 
Have  you  not  received  it? 

Then  I  must  repeat  my  New  Year's  wishes.  I  have 
no  more  eager  wish  than  to  be  able  once  more  to  live 
peacefully  with  you  and  my  little  family  on  the  quiet 
farm — and  I  hope  indeed  that  this  may  come  about  in 
the  not  distant  future.  Let  us  hope  we  shall  all  find 
one  another  in  good  health.  However  great  may  be  the 
allurement  of  the  wild  military  life,  one  never  thinks  of 
his  own  dear  ones  without  deep  longing.  I  have  a  photo- 
graph of  the  farm  with  portraits  of  all  members  of  the 
family,  also  yours  and  Tony's.  You  will  remember  the 
picture.  It  now  stands  upon  the  mantle  in  my  log 
house  directly  before  my  eyes  when  I  sit  by  the  fire, 
and  you  can  imagine  what  thoughts  and  recollections  it 
awakens  in  me.    Well,  this  wish  also  will  be  fulfilled. 


298  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

It  seems  to  me  that  the  war  is  rapidly  nearing  its 
end.  While  our  resources  are  fresh  and  unexhausted, 
the  enemy  shows  a  lack  of  the  most  necessary  things, 
particularly  men  and  horses.  It  is  quite  certain  that  in 
the  army  which  opposes  us  conscription  does  not  suffice 
to  fill  the  gaps  made  by  desertions.  These  have  begun 
on  a  vast  scale.  Transports  are  brought  in  daily.  Such 
armies  are  not  of  a  character  to  offer  a  long  and  stub- 
born resistance.  The  rebel  army  in  Virginia  must  be 
affected  by  the  same  spirit,  and  I  think  it  is  not  impos- 
sible that  the  whole  cause  may  break  down  suddenly  and 
unexpectedly,  like  the  Hungarian  Revolution  in  Vila- 
gos.  Meanwhile  we  are  preparing  for  a  vigorous  spring 
campaign  which  shall  carry  us  into  the  actual  heart  of 
the  Confederacy.  This  is  the  most  vulnerable  point, 
and  the  decisive  stroke  will  unquestionably  be  dealt  in 
the  West. 

In  the  last  campaign  we  had  to  perform  pretty 
severe  labor ;  not  so  much  with  our  weapons  as  with  our 
legs.  We  suffered  little  in  actual  fighting,  but  our 
march  to  Knoxville  and  back  was  all  the  sharper  for  it. 
Now  we  are  lying  in  comfortable  winter  quarters.  The 
weather  around  New  Year's  was  excessively  cold  for 
several  days;  but  now  we  are  enjoying  the  most  de- 
lightful spring  temperature.  In  the  afternoons  it  is  so 
warm  that  one  would  find  it  pleasant  to  wear  summer 
clothes.  I  have  been  perfectly  well  all  the  time,  and 
the  more  madly  things  go  the  better  I  feel.  The  thing 
that  suits  me  least,  physically,  is  the  quiet  camp  life. 
The  thing  I  have  to  complain  about  most  is  bad  luck  with 
my  horses.  My  best  campaigner  died  suddenly;  another 
is  in  such  condition  that  I  shall  never  be  able  to  use  it 
again;  a  third  is  lame;  and  the  fourth,  a  splendid  Eng- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  299 

lish  stallion,  is  just  now  recovering  from  a  long  rail- 
way journey  of  last  August.  Well,  one  must  learn  to 
endure  such  things.  .  .  . 

Farewell  for  today.  Whether  or  not  I  shall  soon 
have  a  furlough  and  visit  you  I  do  not  know.  I  expect 
in  any  event  to  take  part  in  the  approaching  presidential 
campaign,  and  then  we  shall  certainly  see  one  another 
again.  I  long  for  you  a  great  deal  and  I  am  certain  I 
shall  see  you  again.  Do  not  lose  heart.  Think  of  me 
with  the  old  love  as  I  think  of  you.  Greet  the  entire 
family  with  heartiest  greeting. 

To  His  Parents 

Lookout  Valley,  Tennessee 
February  20,  1864 
...  In  the  business  about  which  the  clipping  from 
the  Illinois  Staatszeitung  treats,  the  case  is  this: 
Hooker,  who  is  a  very  equivocal  gentleman,  seems  to 
have  intended  to  make  my  position  under  his  command 
as  unpleasant  as  possible.  So,  in  order  to  deal  me  a 
blow,  he  put  a  remark  in  his  report  concerning  the  night 
battle  of  Wauhatchie  which  intimated  that  I  executed 
too  late  an  order  he  had  given  me  to  send  forward  a  bri- 
gade to  the  support  of  Geary.  As  soon  as  the  report, 
about  which  I  knew  absolutely  nothing,  became  public 
I  demanded  of  General  Thomas  an  investigation  into  its 
truth  by  a  court  of  inquiry.  That  took  place,  and  I 
proved  before  the  court  through  a  mass  of  witnesses 
that  General  Hooker  in  his  own  proper  person  held  up 
the  brigade  which  was  to  have  come  to  the  support  of 
Geary  and  brought  it  to  another  position ;  while  he  sent 
me  an  order  to  take  and  hold,  with  another  brigade  of 


300  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

which  I  was  leader,  a  hill  occupied  by  the  enemy.  The 
latter  order,  as  he  himself  testified,  I  fulfilled  well,  while 
he  made  impossible  the  carrying  out  of  the  first  through 
personally  holding  back  my  brigades.  Since  this  matter 
was  clearly  proved  the  court  naturally  decided  that 
Hooker's  statement  was  groundless,  and  Hooker  fell 
into  the  pit  that  he  had  dug  for  me.  The  decision  is 
now  in  the  hands  of  General  Thomas  for  confirmation 
and  will  then  be  published.  When  Hooker  comes  to 
read  my  defense  before  the  court  of  inquiry  he  will  be 
convinced  that  it  is  dangerous  to  play  with  sharp  instru- 
ments. 

I  have  news  from  Margarethe  that  she  has  been  sick. 
I  plan  to  go  on  furlough  as  soon  as  General  Thomas  re- 
turns— in  whose  stead  I  am  now  in  command  of  the 
corps.  It  is  very  doubtful  if  I  shall  be  able  to  remain 
away  long  enough  to  come  West.  I  shall  certainly  be 
active  in  the  presidential  contest  and  then  spend  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  time  in  the  West.  So  our  meeting,  if  it 
cannot  take  place  just  yet,  will  not  be  deferred  very 
long. 

Keep  well  and  in  good  spirits,  so  it  may  be  a  joyful 
meeting  for  us  all. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

New  York,  February  29,  1864 
I  arrived  here  yesterday  on  my  furlough.  I  re- 
ceived your  letter  a  few  days  before  my  departure  from 
the  army.  I  did  not  answer  it  earlier  because  I  hoped  to 
be  able  to  get  away  at  any  moment  and  be  able  to 
see  you.  I  should  be  very  glad  to  look  you  up  in  Boston 
if  it  were  possible.    But  my  time  is  sharply  limited.    I 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  301 

shall  be  able  to  be  with  my  family  only  a  few  days  and 
then  shall  probably  have  to  go  to  Washington  once 
more  before  I  return  to  the  army.  You  must  set  aside 
one  or  two  days  to  visit  me.  Do  it  as  soon  as  possible. 
I  am  counting  upon  it. 

I  live  at  the  Prescott  House,  corner  of  Broadway 
and  Spring  Street.    Answer  at  once  and  decide  soon. 


To  His  Parents 

Nashville,  April  24,  1864 
I  write  you  today  from  Nashville,  where  I  am  wait- 
ing for  orders.  When  the  Eleventh  Corps  was  com- 
bined with  the  Twelfth  and  placed  under  Hooker's 
leadership  it  was  self-evident  that  I  would  have  to  be 
transferred.  Accordingly  I  left  my  command  last  week 
and  reported  to  General  Sherman.  He  has  telegraphed 
to  Washington  to  learn  what  command  I  should  have 
and  we  expect  an  answer  any  moment.  It  is  possible 
that  I  may  receive  a  district  on  the  Mississippi,  but  I 
think  a  transference  to  the  East,  perhaps  in  Sigel's  de- 
partment, is  rather  more  probable.  I  must  confess  that 
it  is  pretty  much  a  matter  of  indifference  to  me  where 
I  go.  You  can  imagine  that  the  separation  from  my 
old  division,  which  I  commanded  almost  two  years,  was 
very  painful  to  me.  But  my  relations  with  Hooker  had 
become  so  impossible,  particularly  after  the  well-known 
court  of  inquiry,  in  which  I  attacked  Hooker  pretty 
keenly,  that  no  choice  remained.  And,  everything  con- 
sidered, I  am  quite  content  with  the  change.  Whatever 
my  command  may  be,  in  the  matter  of  its  size  I  can 
hardly  fail  to  be  placed  better  than  I  was.    As  soon  as  I 


302  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

receive  further  orders  I  will  let  you  know.  I  shall 
hardly  have  to  wait  longer  than  two  or  three  days. 

I  spent  the  month  of  March  with  my  wife  and  the 
children  in  New  York.  I  would  gladly  have  come  to 
you  with  the  family,  but  it  is  time  that  something  regu- 
lar should  be  done  about  the  children's  schooling.  .  .  . 
My  visit  to  you  accordingly  has  had  to  be  deferred  until 
summer,  but  then  I  shall  certainly  come.  It  is  probable 
that  I  shall  do  something  in  connection  with  the  political 
agitation  of  the  presidential  campaign,  and  in  respect  to 
this  I  can  make  my  preparations  best  at  the  farm.  I 
long  to  see  you  again,  after  so  extended  and  stormy  a 
separation,  and  I  hope  that  our  meeting  will  be  a  happy 
one  to  all. 

You  must  write  me  fully  as  soon  as  you  know  where 
a  letter  can  find  me.  I  shall  also  do  my  best.  Adieu  for 
today. 

To  His  Parents 

Nashville,  July  5,  1864 
Your  letter  of  the  seventeenth  of  May  has  been  re- 
ceived. It  arrived  shortly  before  the  first  of  July.  I 
would  have  answered  several  days  ago  had  I  not  been 
waiting  every  moment  for  certainty  in  regard  to  various 
matters  about  which  I  wanted  to  give  you  informa- 
tion. .  .  . 

As  you  see,  I  am  still  here.  I  would  have  been  glad 
to  spend  the  time  of  waiting  elsewhere,  but  through 
General  Sherman's  orders  I  am  detained  here.  He 
promised  me  a  command  when  I  reported  to  him  in 
April,  but  wrote  later  that  as  my  instruction  camp  here 
had  to  be  broken  up  I  should  simply  be  patient;  he 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  303 

would  remember  me  as  soon  as  a  command  was  open. 
So,  day  after  day  passes  without  any  particular  change 
in  my  situation.  I  am  living  with  my  officers  in  a  nice 
house  outside  of  the  city  and  we  do  our  own  house- 
keeping as  formerly.  Inasmuch  as  I  can  have  plenty 
of  books  here  it  is  not  particularly  difficult  for  me  to 
busy  myself  with  studying  and  writing.  A  daily  pleas- 
ure ride  keeps  me  in  exercise  so  that  my  health  is  pretty 
good.  Should  I  receive  advice  from  Sherman  that  I 
cannot  expect  a  command  at  the  front  for  some  time,  I 
will  do  what  I  can  to  secure  permission  to  spend  the  bal- 
ance of  my  waiting  time  at  home. 

That  the  Democrats  in  Watertown  believe  I  have 
resigned  and  come  out  for  Fremont,  and  that  in  their 
rejoicing  they  go  so  far  as  to  want  to  feast  me,  is 
wholly  delightful.    Do  nothing  to  destroy  their  illusion. 

The  result  of  the  political  campaign  will  undoubt- 
edly depend  much  upon  the  results  of  our  military  op- 
erations ;  and  as  respects  these,  they  will  probably  come 
more  slowly  than,  in  view  of  our  first  successes,  many 
were  led  to  believe.    Let  us  hope  for  the  best. 

The  evening  hour  is  here  and  this  letter  must  go. 
I  beg  you  to  write  me  often;  also  you,  dear  Mama, 
if  you  have  a  desire  to  do  so  and  find  it  not  too  tiring. 
I  long  for  you  greatly  and  I  hope  our  meeting  is  not 
far  off.    Greet  all  relatives  and  friends. 

I  am  sending  you  herewith  a  picture  of  myself.  It 
is  pretty  good. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Bethlehem,  September  7,  1864 
At  last  I  have  received  your  letter,  but  how  and 
when !    I  was  not  in  New  York  where  you  directed  your 


304  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

letter;  it  was  forwarded  to  this  place,  where  I  have  en- 
joyed several  weeks  with  my  family.  When  it  came  I 
had  just  gone  away  to  visit  a  friend  near  Philadelphia. 
After  a  short  rest  in  Bethlehem  the  letter  was  for- 
warded again,  but  when  it  arrived  I  was  gone.  Now  at 
last  the  unlucky  wanderer  lies  before  me  and  looks  at 
me  reproachfully. 

Of  course  it  is  now  too  late  to  find  something  for 
your  sister  to  do ;  she  must  already  have  been  with  you 
for  some  time.  I  am  terribly  sorry  not  to  have  known 
in  time  about  her  expected  arrival.  For,  although  I  was 
not  in  Xew  York  myself,  I  might  have  been  serviceable 
to  her  through  friends.  I  hope  everything  came  out 
fortunately.  I  write  today  only  to  acknowledge  the  re- 
ceipt of  your  letter,  to  tell  you  why  it  was  impossible 
to  fulfill  your  wish  in  regard  to  your  sister,  and  to  wish 
you  happiness  from  my  heart — from  my  whole  heart — 
in  the  arrival  of  your  little  daughter.  Your  letter  con- 
tains so  much  I  should  like  to  answer,  that  I  cannot 
undertake  it  tonight  and  must  put  you  off  with  promises 
for  a  few  days.  I  have  worked  this  entire  day  and  feel 
somewhat  stupid.  I  have  to  play  with  the  children  a 
little  to  freshen  up.  But  you  shall  soon  receive  a  fit- 
ting, a  human,  letter. 

My  wife  and  the  children,  all  of  whom  think  of  you 
with  the  warmest  friendship,  desire  to  greet  you — and 
this  in  the  most  heartfelt  manner.  And  I  not  less — 
that  goes  without  saying. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Bethlehem,  October  12,  1864 
You  have  reason  for  dissatisfaction  with  me.    Let- 
ters such  as  these  and  from  a  friend  such  as  you  are 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  305 

deserved  an  answer  long  ago.  And  so  I  have  been 
somewhat  conscience-stricken  on  account  of  the  delay. 
But  at  bottom  I  feel  that  I  am  not  so  greatly  at  fault. 
In  the  last  five  weeks  I  was  overwhelmed  with  the  most 
pressing  business;  my  wife  and  my  children  complain 
that  my  presence  is  only  a  half-way  affair,  and  since  they 
finally  had  to  be  content  I  know  you  will  not  be  less 
just.  You  know  how  it  is  with  letter- writing  if  one 
does  not  want  to  put  a  friend  off  with  a  few  words  and 
still  has  no  leisure  to  express  himself  properly.  Now 
at  last  I  have  found  a  little  resting  place  and  it  belongs 
to  you. 

The  account  of  your  family  happiness  has  enabled 
us,  my  wife  and  me,  to  relive  old  times  again  and  to  en- 
joy the  present  doubly.  I  understand  your  happiness 
fully  because  I  know  it  personally  from  experience  and 
meet  it  daily  at  my  own  family  hearth.  Therefore,  we 
rejoice  doubly  with  you.  I  speak  always  of  us,  for  your 
letters  belong  to  my  entire  family.  I  have  of  course 
learned  to  see  and  to  prize  the  family  haven  in  another 
light — as  an  always  sure  and  peaceful  haven  in  time  of 
storm.  There  is  nothing  in  heaven  or  on  earth  that  ex- 
ceeds the  feeling  of  peace  and  of  loving  understanding 
in  the  midst  of  the  home  circle.  I  see  in  your  letter  a 
suggestion  of  the  question  how  one  can  desert  such  a 
haven  for  the  struggle  of  the  elements.  Like  many  a 
seafarer  I  have  often  asked  myself  this  question — but 
one  does  it.  That  is  life — fate,  I  had  almost  said,  if  it 
did  not  sound  too  superstitious.  One  must  not  spurn 
the  demands  which  life  makes.  We  owe  to  those  who 
have  them  not,  that  we  use  the  abilities  we  possess.  If 
the  fulfillment  of  this  duty  demands  sacrifices,  we  must 
make  them.     That  is  a  matter  of  inner  responsibility 


306  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

which  can  be  felt  better  than  described.  I  had  hoped  to 
be  able  to  visit  you  in  the  course  of  the  fall,  and  your 
letters  have  sharpened  that  desire. 

What  you  say  to  me  about  the  letter  I  wrote  to  you 
in  Europe  is  all  shouted  into  the  wind.  Do  not  try  to 
talk  me  out  of  the  feeling  about  the  nature  and  effect  of 
our  relationships  in  the  beautiful  days  of  our  youth.  I 
myself  know  best  what  you  were  to  me  then  and  how 
everything  hung  together,  and  I  cannot  permit  the 
recollection  of  it  to  be  weakened.  I  know  too  that  at 
bottom  it  is  the  same  with  you.  It  was  a  precious  time 
of  budding  and  blooming. 

Now  I  shall  have  to  schoolmaster  you  a  bit.  I  can- 
not share  your  opinion  about  what  I  ought  to  do  or 
not  do  in  the  present  crisis.  You  certainly  would  not 
have  judged  in  this  manner  had  you  participated  in  the 
great  battle  which  lies  behind  us.  Perhaps  you  were 
surprised  when  I  came  out  publicly  for  the  present  ad- 
ministration. I  believe,  however,  that  a  few  words  on 
my  view  of  things  will  make  the  matter  clear  to  you. 
Every  crisis  in  human  affairs  has  its  main  question  to 
which  all  side  issues  must  unconditionally  subordinate 
themselves.  We  are  engaged  in  a  war  in  which  the  ex- 
istence of  the  nation — and  that  means  everything — is 
involved.  A  party  has  arisen  in  the  country  which 
threatens  to  throw  away  all  the  results  of  the  war,  and 
this  at  a  moment  when  by  a  firm  adherence  to  the  present 
policy  the  outcome  can  hardly  be  doubtful.  The  gov- 
ernment has  unquestionably  committed  great  errors; 
the  individuals  who  direct  the  affairs  of  the  country  are 
doubtless  not  ideal  statesmen,  although  not  nearly  so 
undistinguished  as  people  would  like  to  represent  them ; 
but  all  this  is  incidental.     The  main  thing  is  that  the 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  307 

policy  of  the  government  moves  in  the  right  direction — 
that  is  to  say,  the  slaveholder  will  be  overthrown  and 
slavery  abolished.  Whether  it  [the  government]  moves 
in  that  direction  prudently  or  imprudently,  slowly  or 
rapidly,  is  a  matter  of  indifference  as  against  the  ques- 
tion of  whether  a  policy  should  be  adopted  which  would 
move  in  another,  an  opposite  and  destructive,  direction. 
Under  such  conditions  my  choice  was  easily  made; 
it  was  not  doubtful  for  a  moment.  If  Fremont  and 
McClellan  had  been  my  bosom  friends  and  the  members 
of  the  present  government  my  mortal  enemies,  I  would 
have  come  out  for  the  latter  without  hesitation.  The 
counter  arguments  of  a  personal  character  which  you 
advance,  such  as  base  criticism,  etc.,  could  not  enter  into 
the  scale.  If  we  want  to  accomplish  something  impor- 
tant we  must  not  let  petty  things  disturb  us.  I  have 
long  been  beyond  such  things.  People  may  say  of  me 
what  they  please.  I  do  not  expect  thanks,  nor  even 
recognition.  After  all  the  only  genuine  compensation 
one  has  is  in  himself.  The  satisfaction  which  I  desire  I 
have  every  day,  today  just  as  much  as  formerly.  It 
consists  in  this,  that  the  ideas  put  forward  in  my  own 
way  are  repeated  by  a  multitude  of  other  people  in  their 
way,  and  thus  spread.  Whether  or  not  my  patent  right 
is  respected  is  a  matter  quite  indifferent  to  me.  The  real 
purpose  of  the  propaganda  of  ideas  is  better  attained  if 
the  origin  of  the  ideas  is  forgotten.  I  have  seen  and 
experienced  many  things  of  this  sort  which  give  me  the 
profoundest  satisfaction.  The  signs  of  the  time  at  this 
moment  are  exceedingly  favorable.  The  reelection  of 
the  President  is  almost  beyond  question — it  could  be 
prevented  only  if  a  tremendous  reverse  should  occur 
upon  the  theatre  of  war,  and  this  is  not  to  be  expected. 


308  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

The  outcome  of  the  election  will  mean  the  end  of  the 
war,  and  we  shall  be  past  the  worst. 

I  am  sending  you  one  of  my  speeches  issued  by  the 
Congressional  Committee,  in  which  you,  if  you  will  take 
the  pains  to  read  it,  will  find  my  views  about  the  present 
state  and  the  real  object  of  this  whole  struggle  more 
clearly  expounded  than  I  could  give  them  to  you  in  a 
short  letter. 

On  two  other  points  I  should  like  to  clear  your  mind. 
Your  opinion  of  the  President  is  too  deprecatory.  He 
is  indeed  a  man  without  higher  education  and  his  man- 
ners harmonize  little  with  the  European  conception  of 
the  dignity  of  a  ruler.  He  is  an  overgrown  nature- 
child  and  does  not  understand  artifices  of  speech  and 
attitude.  But  he  is  a  man  of  profound  feeling,  just  and 
firm  principles,  and  incorruptible  integrity.  One  can 
always  rely  upon  his  motives,  and  the  characteristic  gift 
of  this  people,  a  sound  common  sense,  is  developed  in 
him  to  a  marvelous  degree.  If  you  should  sometime 
find  opportunity  to  read  his  official  papers  and  his  politi- 
cal letters  you  would  find  this  demonstrated  in  a  manner 
which  would  surprise  you.  I  know  the  man  from  per- 
sonal observation  as  well  as  anyone  and  better  than 
most.  I  am  quite  familiar  with  the  motives  of  his  poli- 
cies. I  have  seen  him  fight  his  way  heroically  through 
many  a  terrible  battle  and  work  his  way  with  true- 
hearted  strength  through  many  a  desperate  situation.  I 
have  often  criticized  him  severely  and  subsequently  have 
not  infrequently  found  that  he  was  right.  I  also  under- 
stand his  weaknesses ;  they  are  the  weaknesses  of  a  good 
man.  That  he  has  made  great  mistakes  in  the  endless 
complications  of  his  office  connot  be  denied  but  can  easily 
be  explained.     Other  men  in  the  same  situation  would 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  309 

perhaps  not  have  made  the  same  mistakes,  but  they 
would  have  made  others.  Lincoln's  personality,  how- 
ever, has  in  this  crisis  a  quite  peculiar  significance.  Free 
from  the  aspirations  of  genius,  he  will  never  become 
dangerous  to  a  free  commonwealth.  He  is  the  people 
personified;  that  is  the  secret  of  his  popularity.  His 
government  is  the  most  representative  that  has  ever 
existed  in  world  history.  I  will  make  a  prophecy  which 
may  perhaps  sound  strange  at  this  moment.  In  fifty 
years,  perhaps  much  sooner,  Lincoln's  name  will  stand 
written  upon  the  honor  roll  of  the  American  Republic 
next  to  that  of  Washington,  and  there  it  will  remain  for 
all  time.  The  children  of  those  who  now  disparage  him 
will  bless  him. 

Another  point  about  which  I  want  to  clear  your 
mind  is  this:  You  believe  that  this  government  has 
treated  me  with  great  want  of  consideration.  The  mat- 
ter stands  thus:  I  had  a  particularly  profound  dif- 
ference with  my  commander,  General  Hooker,  who  is  a 
man  devoid  of  sound  principles  but  a  good  soldier ;  who 
in  addition  has  a  talent  for  setting  his  achievements  be- 
fore the  world  in  the  most  favorable  light.  Because  of 
an  injustice  he  attempted  toward  me  I  demanded  an 
investigation,  from  which  I  got  off  very  well  and  he 
very  badly.  The  natural  result,  however,  was  that  for 
my  own  security  I  had  to  give  up  my  command  under 
him.  Unfortunately,  just  at  that  time  the  reorganiza- 
tion of  the  western  army  was  completed  and  the  cam- 
paign ready  to  begin,  so  that  Sherman  was  not  able  to 
fulfill  his  promise  to  give  me  a  new  command  imme- 
diately. I  decided  then,  voluntarily,  during  my  wait  in 
Nashville,  to  take  over  a  training  camp  in  order  not  to 
be  idle.    The  government  had  absolutely  nothing  to  do 


310  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

with  it.  When  I  finally  requested  permission  to  report 
myself  in  Washington,  a  command  was  immediately 
placed  at  my  disposal  which  was  much  more  important 
than  my  former  command.  There  were  two  reasons 
which  induced  me  to  decline  it  temporarily:  First,  the 
health  of  my  wife  made  it  desirable  that  I  should  spend 
some  time  with  my  family ;  second,  the  political  situation 
was  such  that  I  would  be  able  to  accomplish  more  here 
than  elsewhere.  Accordingly  I  am  where  I  am  with 
my  own  consent. 

It  is  not  strange  that  these  matters  should  have  been 
otherwise  represented  in  this  or  that  German  paper. 
One  must  pay  no  attention  to  these  things.  It  never 
occurs  to  me  openly  to  deny  such  statements.  Besides, 
if  I  really  had  had  grounds  to  complain,  that  would  not 
have  altered  my  course.  In  times  like  the  present  we  are 
concerned  with  weightier  matters  than  the  interests  or 
sensibilities  of  individuals.  He  who  cannot  rise  above 
them  must  shrivel  to  the  point  of  "selling  his  cheese."  I 
feel  so  exalted  by  the  great  and  hopeful  change  things 
have  assumed  that  I  should  be  able  to  make  much  greater 
sacrifices  than  those  which  fate  has  required  of  me. 
This  is  a  great  people  and  the  present  is  this  great 
people's  time  of  greatest  trial.  We  are  in  the  melting 
pot;  the  metal  flows  beautifully  while  the  dross  hardens. 
We  shall  have  a  mighty  future.  But  let  me  not  enter 
upon  this  chapter.  I  know  that  you  do  not  yet  value 
America  according  to  its  true  worth.  You  have  not  yet 
worked  your  way  through  the  hard,  thorny  crust,  and 
what  I  could  say  to  you  must  be  discovered  itself  in 
order  to  be  correctly  understood.  Here  one  sees  hu- 
manity as  it  is,  with  all  its  apparent  faults  and  all  its 
hidden  virtues.     One  must  not   allow  the   former  to 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  311 

frighten  him  away  from  the  effort  to  understand  the 
latter.    Then  only  will  one  find  oneself. 

You  can  imagine  that  I  have  enjoyed  this  reunion 
with  my  family  even  though  many  a  day  was  clouded 
by  the  illness  of  my  wife.  .  .  . 

What  you  write  me  about  your  external  affairs  is  not 
so  good  as  I  could  have  wished  for  you.  Write  me 
about  two  points :  first,  how  you  are  getting  along  with 
the  English  language ;  and  second,  how  long  your  pres- 
ent position  is  to  continue.  I  will  then  send  you  a  letter 
to  Senator  Sumner,  who  will  gladly  oblige  me  and  who 
can  use  his  influence  during  his  frequent  visits  to  Wash- 
ington. 

Adieu  for  today.  It  is  late;  I  have  worked  the  en- 
tire day,  and  my  wife  asks  me,  begs  me,  urges  me,  orders 
me,  to  go  to  bed.  We  both  send  our  hearty  greeting  to 
you  and  all  your  loved  ones.  Your  sister  will  doubtless 
remember  your  long,  lanky  friend. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Bethlehem,  November  9,  1864 
At  last  I  am  by  myself  again.  Your  letter  had  to 
wait  upon  me  here  while  I  was  engaged  in  a  journey  to 
Illinois  and  Wisconsin,  during  which  I  saw  my  aged 
parents  again  and  found  them  in  the  best  of  health. 
Since,  as  is  well  known,  it  is  good  to  rest  after  labors 
are  ended,  the  unwonted  luxury  of  rest  tastes  exceed- 
ingly good  to  me.    To  be  sure,  it  will  not  last  long. 

First  now,  your  personal  affairs.  The  news  con- 
tained in  your  letter  respecting  an  insurance  agency 
pleased  me  greatly  because  it  shows  me  that  you  are 
getting  around  among  people.    To  give  you  wholly  re- 


312  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

liable  advice  in  regard  to  the  acceptance  of  the  agency 
would  be  difficult  for  me  because  I  do  not  know  the 
Insurance  Society  of  Maine;  still,  I  know  from  what  I 
have  learned,  that  such  undertakings  almost  all  go  well. 
The  one  to  which  I  belong  enjoys,  as  I  recently  saw  in 
Milwaukee,  a  very  great  prosperity.  The  chances,  ac- 
cordingly, are  that  the  business  will  go.  Of  course  you 
must  secure  data  which  will  confirm  this  to  a  certain  ex- 
tent. One  thing  should  be  considered:  The  German 
element,  to  which  your  activities  would  be  limited,  is  not 
very  numerous  in  Massachusetts  and  it  would  therefore 
be  very  desirable  if  your  territory  could  be  enlarged  to 
include  the  other  New  England  states,  particularly 
Connecticut,  where  there  are  more  Germans.  If  reason- 
ably favorable  arrangements  in  this  respect  can  be  made, 
I  surely  believe  the  position  will  be  quite  a  profitable  one. 
The  letter  of  recommendation  from  Mr.  Wilson  I  send 
you  herewith  enclosed.  I  do  not  remember  his  uncle  at 
all,  but  it  is  of  course  possible  that  we  met  at  some  time 
in  the  Mutual  Insurance  office  in  Milwaukee.  As  to  the 
other  letters  of  recommendation,  they  are  of  course  all 
at  your  service.  The  question  is  merely  this:  Have 
you  perhaps  in  view  certain  definite  persons  to  whom  I 
could  give  you  letters  of  recommendation,  or  should  I 
not  rather  give  you  a  general  letter  of  introduction 
which  would  serve  you  with  all  men  with  whom  I  am 
acquainted?  In  using  the  latter — and  such  an  one 
would  probably  be  of  most  service  to  you — you  would 
merely  have  to  be  careful  to  determine  in  each  individ- 
ual case  whether  a  given  person  is  one  whom  a  recom- 
mendation from  me  would  impress;  for  you  will  find 
that  the  political  party  spirit  plays  into  all  possible  situa- 
tions.    Since  you  are  not  in  a  hurry  for  these  recom- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  313 

mendations,  you  can  doubtless  let  me  know  which  sort 
of  letter  would  be  most  agreeable  to  you.  One  warning 
permit  me  to  repeat.  Lose  no  opportunity  to  advance 
your  mastery  of  the  English  language. 

The  tones  of  your  beautiful  home  life  which  all  of 
your  letters  waft  to  me  make  me  very  happy  for  you. 
My  family  horizon  is  not  quite  so  clear.  My  wife  has 
suffered  a  good  deal  in  recent  weeks  and  I  fear  there 
will  be  no  permanent  improvement  until  what  is  usually 
called  a  family  increase  shall  have  brought  our  anxieties 
and  cares  to  a  fortunate  termination.  I  hope  to  be  able 
to  give  you  better  news  in  some  four  or  five  weeks.  The 
assurances  which  our  doctor  gives  me  are  such  as  bode 
no  evil.    Both  of  my  children  are  prospering  splendidly. 

You  doubtless  wonder  why  I  have  as  yet  said  no 
word  about  the  presidential  election.  Only  last  night, 
toward  three  o'clock,  when  we  saw  the  streets  lighted  by 
torches  and  heard  loud  hurrahing,  my  wife  scolded  me 
for  not  being  sufficiently  eager  to  get  up  and  learn  what 
victory  was  being  celebrated.  I  was  so  certain  that  the 
American  nation  would  not  abandon  itself,  that  the  elec- 
tion victory  surprised  me  no  more  than  the  rising  sun 
in  the  east.  Since  you  have  read  my  Philadelphia  speech 
you  know  my  views  on  the  subject.  I  would  gladly  have 
sent  you  a  copy  of  my  Brooklyn  speech  but  I  have  no 
more.  I  am  thinking  of  utilizing  my  present  leisure  to 
prepare  for  the  press  an  edition  of  the  best  speeches  I 
have  made  in  the  last  six  years.  Now  farewell.  I  must 
be  brief  today,  for  my  three  weeks  of  wholly  neglected 
correspondence  lies  mountain-high  before  me.  With 
heartiest  greetings  from  us  all  to  you  all. 


314  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Bethlehem,  December  31,  1864 
In  haste  I  must  announce  to  you  that  yesterday 
afternoon  my  wife  was  delivered  of  a  very  precious  off- 
spring of  the  female  sex.62  Everything  went  well;  my 
wife  is  as  well  as  can  be  expected  under  the  circum- 
stances. We  had  a  very  bad  time  in  advance.  My  wife 
was  ill  much  of  the  time  and  could  hardly  walk  during 
the  last  few  weeks.  Naturally  I  was  bound  to  the  house, 
and  filled  up  my  lonely  leisure  by  assembling  the  best  of 
my  speeches  and  preparing  them  for  publication  in  a 
volume  which  will  appear  in  three  or  four  weeks.  The 
new  arrival  gives  us  just  as  much  joy  as  if  it  were  the 
first  child.    The  entire  family  floats  in  happiness. 

Why  have  you  not  written  me  for  so  long?  I  have 
been  uneasy  about  it.  Write  me  soon.  I  am  anxious  to 
hear  from  you.  Greet  your  dear  wife  and  your  sister 
heartily  from  us  and  accept  our  best  wishes  for  the 
new  year. 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  February  1,  1865 
I  cannot  get  away  yet.  Grant  has  been  in  North 
Carolina.  We  hope  for  his  return.  You  can  imagine  I 
am  perishing  with  impatience  and  weariness.  Yester- 
day morning  I  had  a  long  conversation  with  Lincoln  and 
Stanton.  Both  were  very  friendly,  particularly  the 
former,  as  cordial  as  ever;  but  as  was  to  be  expected,  I 
was  given  hopes  that  Grant  would  come  and  decide  the 
matter.  .  .  .  Yesterday  I  was  in  Congress  when  the 

63  Emma  Savannah,  who  died  in  1867. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  315 

amendment  to  the  Constitution  was  passed  which 
abolishes  slavery.  The  scene  that  followed  the  an- 
nouncement of  the  result  of  the  vote  was  worthy  of  the 
great  event.  The  galleries  were  crowded  and  even  the 
floor  of  the  House  was  filled  with  spectators.  All  arose 
as  at  a  word  of  command.  The  ladies  waved  their  hand- 
kerchiefs, the  men  threw  their  hats  into  the  air,  they 
embraced,  they  shook  hands,  and  ten  minutes  passed 
before  the  hurrahing  and  the  enthusiastic  racket  ceased. 
The  House  immediately  adjourned  and  the  news  of  the 
event  spread  through  the  city.  Meanwhile  cannon  were 
brought  out  to  greet  with  their  thunder  this  great  step 
on  freedom's  path.  It  is  worth  while  to  live  in  these 
days.  I  must  confess  to  you  that  in  the  moment  when  the 
enthusiasm  broke  forth  in  the  House  I  did  not  join  in 
the  shouting.  I  believe  I  should  have  been  unable  to 
speak.  In  such  moments  one  feels  that  he  has  his  reward 
for  laboring  in  the  interest  of  great  ideas  even  though  in 
other  respects  one  has  ever  so  much  to  quarrel  about 
with  his  fate.  .  .  . 


To  His  Wife 

Metropolitan  Hotel,  Washington 
February  24,  1865 
I  arrived  here  safely  last  night  and  reported  to  Gen- 
eral Hancock,  who  received  me  with  great  cordiality. 
We  immediately  entered  on  a  long  conversation  about 
our  business  concerns,  in  which  it  was  disclosed  that 
matters  relating  to  the  Veteran  Corps  were  less  favor- 
able than  had  been  expected  a  short  time  ago.  The  War 
Department  has  not  yet  done  away  with  certain  embar- 
rassing regulations ;  and  although  the  recruits  are  com- 


316  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

ing  in  in  growing  numbers,  the  business  is  still  going  so 
slowly  that  the  completion  of  the  Army  Corps  before 
the  opening  of  the  spring  campaign  is  improbable  and 
indeed  impossible,  unless  uncommonly  effective  meas- 
ures are  taken  leading  to  unexpected  results.  As  things 
now  stand,  it  is  probable,  unless  such  a  favorable  change 
takes  place,  that  Hancock  will  give  up  the  new  organiza- 
tion in  a  few  weeks  and  request  permission  to  go  back 
to  the  command  of  the  Second  Corps.  I  shall,  neverthe- 
less, make  a  journey  to  the  West  to  see  what  can  be 
done  there.  If  the  recruiting  is  effective  beyond  expec- 
tation, well  and  good ;  if  not,  then  according  to  General 
Grant's  promise  I  shall  receive  another  command.  .  .  . 
Today  came  the  news  of  the  capture  of  Wilming- 
ton, which,  as  you  may  suppose,  caused  great  jubilation. 
All  signs  indicate  that  the  rebellion  is  hurrying  to  its 
close,  and  even  the  most  skeptical  and  pessimistic  are 
now  forced  to  this  decision. 


To  His  Wife 

Washington,  February  27,  1865 
.  .  .  However  the  thing  may  go,  whether  or  not  the 
corps  shall  be  completed,  I  have  Grant's  promise  of  a 
command  and  he  will  not  disappoint  me.  Meantime  I 
am  doing  my  duty  working  for  the  corps  as  best  I  can. 
Yesterday  I  wrote  to  Grant  and  we  shall  by  and  by  get 
the  thing  settled.  .  .  .  According  to  present  prospects 
I  shall  get  away  tomorrow.  Please  be  so  good  as  to  put 
all  my  campaign  things  in  order  so  that  I  may  find  them 
packed  ready  to  take  along. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  317 

To  His  Wife 

Indian apolis,  March  4,  1865 
My  business  affairs  naturally  take  up  my  entire  time. 
The  original  plan  of  organization  was  so  completely 
broken  down  that  we  have  nearly  all  the  work  to  do  over 
and  have  to  struggle  against  many  difficulties.  But 
when  the  matter  is  taken  hold  of  with  a  measure  of  wis- 
dom, it  goes.  I  have  already  had  pretty  good  success 
in  my  operations.  My  recruiting  officers  have  just  ar- 
rived and  I  must  hasten  to  close. 


To  His  Wife 

Milwaukee,  March  14,  1865 
I  arrived  here  yesterday  afternoon  and  to  my  great 
distress  found  that  the  recruiting  officer  whom  I  most 
especially  needed  to  see,  who  had  come  here  in  response 
to  the  dispatch  which  had  been  sent  from  Washington 
and  was  afterward  countermanded,  had  gone  away.  I 
telegraphed  him  again  last  Friday  from  Springfield 
but  do  not  know  whether  the  dispatch  reached  him. 
Yesterday  we  had  a  heavy  snowstorm  which  disorgan- 
ized the  telegraph  lines  so  that  I  am  without  the  means 
of  prompt  communication;  so  yesterday  and  today  I 
have  been  running  around  doing  what  I  could,  and  have 
decided  to  go  to  Madison  tonight  in  order  to  see  if  my 
man  can  be  found  there.  If  I  do  not  find  him  there  and 
if  I  cannot  reach  him  by  telegraph  (the  rascal  lives  in 
Mineral  Point)  I  do  not  know  what  I  shall  do.  ...  I 
cannot  wait,  for  my  appointments  in  Michigan  are  due. 
What  to  do?  I  think  I  shall  place  myself  under  the 
guidance  of  the  higher  powers.    If  I  find  things  in  any 


318  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

degree  satisfactory  at  Madison  I  shall  go  forward  in 
God's  name.  .  .  . 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Bethlehem,  March  22,  1865 
Rightly  considered,  you  are  a  very  bad  fellow  to  let 
me  wait  so  long  for  word  from  you!  It  was  as  if  the 
earth  had  swallowed  you  up,  and  I  have  often  discussed 
with  my  wife  the  question  if  it  would  not  be  best  to  write 
to  the  police  authorities  of  Boston  to  find  out  what  had 
become  of  you.  On  whatever  theory  we  tried  to  explain 
your  silence,  no  hypothesis  fitted  the  case  and  finally  we 
had  to  content  ourselves  with  the  thought  that  letters 
must  have  been  lost  in  a  peculiar  way.  You  see  what 
you  have  done.  Now  mark  this :  A  half-dozen  letters, 
each  of  six  lines,  within  a  single  month  would  satisfy  me 
better  than  one  stately,  voluminous  epistle  every  six 
months;  although  I  also  know  how  to  appreciate  the 
latter — that  is,  the  epistle.  Now,  let  me  beg  of  you,  no 
further  testing  of  our  patience.  I  had  to  read  you  a 
little  lecture.    Your  conscience  will  do  the  rest. 

Greatly  as  the  receipt  of  your  letter  pleased  me,  I 
would  not  have  answered  so  promptly  except  for  a  spe- 
cial circumstance.  Your  letter  just  happened  to  find 
me  here.  I  am  attached  to  Hancock's  Veteran  Corps 
and  was  in  the  West  three  weeks  to  set  the  machinery 
of  recruiting  in  motion  again.  I  returned  last  night,  and 
day  after  tomorrow  shall  have  to  go  back  to  Washing- 
ton, where  I  shall  probably  remain  a  short  time.  If  the 
chances  of  the  early  completion  of  the  Veteran  Corps 
are  favorable  I  shall  remain  with  it ;  if  not,  I  shall  go  to 
the  army  in  a  short  time  to  take  another  command. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  319 

This,  at  least,  is  my  arrangement  with  General  Grant. 
So,  if  your  business  calls  you  to  Baltimore,  a  side  trip 
to  Bethlehem  will  be  futile.  Rather,  you  will  probably 
be  able  to  find  me  in  Washington  at  the  Metropolitan 
Hotel  if  you  do  not  postpone  your  journey  too  long. 
If  you  are  going  to  Baltimore  to  get  clients  for  the  in- 
surance company,  it  would  be  a  good  thing  to  extend 
your  operations  to  Washington  even  though  I  were  not 
there.  I  will  not  tell  you  today  how  greatly  it  would 
please  me  to  see  you  again,  since  your  long  silence  de- 
serves to  be  answered  with  conformable  silence  about 
such  things. 

My  family  is  well;  the  youngest  is  a  heavenly  crea- 
ture, and  whatever  famous  things  you  may  say  about 
your  own  child  I  feel  quite  in  the  right  when  I  give  my- 
self the  illusion  that  there  can  be  no  more  ravishing 
creature  in  the  world  than  my  war  child.  That  will  be 
understood,  and  my  wife  agrees  with  me  on  this  point. 
Of  course  you  are  not  prohibited  from  having  the  same 
opinion  of  your  own  offspring. 

In  your  letter  you  say  many  nice  things  about  the 
excellence  of  my  wife,  but  you  must  not  nurse  the  illu- 
sion that  with  such  a  wise  "captatio  benevolentiae"  you 
can  always  disarm  a  righteous  wrath.  Had  my  wife 
been  more  indifferent  to  you,  she  would  also  have 
thought  more  leniently  about  your  long  silence.  You 
have  much  to  make  good  and  we  hope  you  will  take  the 
matter  to  heart.  We  forgive  such  sins  somewhat  more 
easily  because  we  also  cannot  say,  with  a  good  con- 
science, "We  thank  thee,  O  Lord,  that  we  are  not  as 
that  man." 

I  had  reached  this  point  when  a  letter  from  Grant 
arrived  which  makes  it  probable  that  I  shall  have  to  go 


320  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

to  Sherman's  army  soon  after  my  arrival  in  Washing- 
ton. I  have,  therefore,  deferred  my  departure  from 
here  until  next  Monday.  Meantime,  I  shall  make  ready 
my  field  luggage.  Let  us  rejoice  that  the  war  is  now 
hurrying  with  giant  strides  to  its  end — an  end  which 
will  stand  as  one  of  the  greatest  events  of  world  history. 
Then,  looking  back  over  the  great  achievement  of  the 
war  years,  we  shall  enjoy  life  with  greater  comfort. 
Greet  your  family  heartily  for  us.  We  rejoice  in 
your  happiness.  .  .  .  Letters  will  reach  me  care  of  the 
War  Department,  Washington. 

To  Henry  Meyer 

Bethlehem,  March  25,  1865 
At  last  I  come  to  answer  your  dear  letter  in  quiet. 
It  had  but  just  arrived  when  I  was  called  to  Washing- 
ton and  given  charge  of  the  volunteer  Veteran  Corps 
then  in  progress  of  organization.  Since  the  corps  was 
only  at  its  beginnings  I  was  obliged  to  visit  the  various 
recruiting  stations  in  the  western  states  to  give  the  cause 
more  vitality.  I  have  just  returned  and  have  stolen  a 
few  days  to  spend  with  my  family.  On  the  twenty- 
eighth — that  is,  in  three  days — I  go  back  to  Washington. 
Since  this  corps,  which  is  to  be  made  up  of  selected  men, 
assembles  slowly  while  the  army  otherwise  fills  up 
rapidly,  it  is  probable  that  I  shall  return  to  my  old  com- 
mand under  Sherman.  At  least  a  letter  from  General 
Grant  presents  this  choice  to  me. 

You  have  no  doubt  followed  with  interest  the  course 
of  events  upon  this  continent.  We  have  never  before 
enjoyed  so  uninterrupted  a  series  of  brilliant  successes. 
The  glorious  campaign  of  Sherman  in  Georgia  and  in 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  321 

the  Carolinas;  the  capture  of  the  seaports  Savannah, 
Charleston,  and  Wilmington ;  the  destruction  of  the 
great  railway  communications  of  the  South  have,  so  to 
speak,  sapped  the  veins  of  the  Confederacy.  What  I 
told  you  in  earlier  letters  about  the  complete  draining 
of  that  region  in  men  and  material  has  all  come  true.  I 
believe  the  total  strength  of  the  rebels  at  this  moment 
does  not  exceed  150,000  effectives,  of  which,  in  the  most 
favorable  situation,  at  most  120,000 — probably  not  more 
than  100,000 — could  be  concentrated.  Against  this 
number  we  have  under  Grant  in  front  of  Richmond  and 
Petersburg  some  100,000;  under  Sherman  directly,  in- 
cluding the  cavalry,  75,000;  under  Scofield,  who  is 
merely  in  communication  with  Sherman,  40,000;  under 
Sheridan,  25,000.  All  these  are  working  together  upon 
the  great  eastern  field  of  operations.  In  addition  we 
have  under  Thomas  in  Tennessee  and  Georgia  at  least 
50,000,  and  under  Canby  on  the  Mississippi  some  40,- 
000  men.  Besides,  there  are  garrisons  which  lie  dis- 
tributed at  various  points.  These  are  all  old  troops. 
The  levy  of  this  year,  which  is  going  ahead  satisfactorily 
everywhere,  will  have  given  us  before  the  first  of  May 
at  least  250,000  fresh  troops,  which  are  already  for  the 
most  part  designated  to  the  armies  in  the  East  and  the 
West.  This  colossus  of  at  least  550,000  men  will  in  the 
spring  hurl  itself  upon  the  remains  of  the  Confederate 
army  in  the  East  and  West  and,  unless  miracles  happen 
in  favor  of  the  South,  the  war  must  be  concluded  toward 
midsummer. 

I  remember,  to  be  sure,  that  Lee,  with  his  main  army, 
has  the  advantage  of  a  central  position  and,  if  he  can 
make  up  his  mind  to  give  up  Richmond,  may  win  from 
us  petty,  temporary  advantages.    For  instance,  he  could 


322  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

hurl  himself  against  Sherman  with  all  his  troops,  al- 
though it  would  seem  to  be  almost  too  late  for  that  since 
the  latter,  after  his  union  with  Schofield,  would  have  a 
force  sufficient  to  parry  all  dangerous  blows.  But  Lee 
might  move  north  again  and  make  an  attack  upon  the 
free  states  which  would  perhaps  be  successful  until  our 
armies  could  reach  him.  But,  even  in  the  most  favorable 
circumstances,  this  would  only  postpone  for  a  brief  time 
the  inevitable  end.  The  losses  which  he  suffers  in 
battle  cannot  be  made  good,  for  the  fantastic  plan  of 
arming  negroes,  even  if  it  were  practical  for  the  South, 
would  now  be  too  late.  The  negroes  need  months  of 
training  and  discipline  to  make  them  fighting  soldiers. 
Lee's  resources  are  accordingly  at  an  end.  A  victory 
would  but  add  to  his  difficulties  while  our  means  still 
spring  abundantly  out  of  the  earth.  The  London  Times 
recently  defined  the  situation  beautifully  when  it  said: 
"The  South  is  already  exhausted  and  the  North  is  not 
yet  even  weary." 

Accordingly  we  see  the  end  before  us.  It  is  possible 
that  there  may  still  be  a  couple  of  battles.  It  is  also 
possible  that  the  business  will  come  to  an  end  in  great 
measure  without  further  fighting.  The  leaders  of  the 
rebellion  feel  their  weakness;  that  is  manifested  in 
everything.  It  would  therefore  not  surprise  me  if  one 
day  Lee  should  be  made  dictator  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
cluding a  capitulation;  or,  in  the  most  extreme  case,  if 
he  should  retire  from  the  chief  command,  whereupon  of 
course  the  whole  machine  would  collapse.  Perhaps  they 
may  also  wage  a  final  despairing  fight,  and  then  it  will 
depend  upon  their  troops  whether  anything  can  be  ac- 
complished. The  outcome  in  any  event  is  no  longer 
doubtful,  and  the  developments  have  been  such  that  for 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  323 

this  great  revolution  results  are  guaranteed  which  the 
most  sanguine  could  not  have  painted  more  brilliantly. 
It  is  truly  the  rebirth  of  the  republic  on  a  basis  of  full 
freedom  and  a  vastly  augmented  power. 

In  financial  matters  also  things  look  more  favorable 
now.  At  the  beginning  of  the  war  our  financial  ar- 
rangements were  of  course  hazardous  enough,  and  we 
could  have  saved  hundreds  of  millions  had  we  at  that 
time  recognized  the  nature  of  the  struggle  and  prepared 
accordingly.  But,  assume  that  we  emerge  from  the  war 
with  a  national  debt  of  three  billion  dollars ;  assume  that 
the  interest  rate  for  the  consolidated  debt  is  fixed  at  six 
per  cent,  we  shall  then  have  to  pay  one  hundred  and 
eighty  million  dollars  interest.  The  internal  revenue  in 
the  next  fiscal  year  will  yield  four  hundred  million  dol- 
lars. Our  peace  time  budget  will  hardly  exceed  one 
hundred  and  twenty  millions,  so  that  a  hundred  mil- 
lions will  remain  over  as  an  amortization  fund.  The 
taxes  are  indeed  heavy  but  not  out  of  proportion  to  the 
productive  ability  of  the  country.  But  it  must  not  be 
forgotten  that  the  taxes  at  present  are  paid  from  only 
a  part  of  the  country,  namely,  the  North.  As  soon  as 
the  South  comes  back  the  tax  burden  will  be  spread  over 
a  much  greater  population  and  the  pressure  will  thus 
be  lightened.  With  the  taxability  of  this  country  a 
public  debt  of  three  or  four  billion  dollars  is  not  ex- 
cessive. Therefore,  quietly  buy  United  States  bonds 
over  yonder.  It  is  my  firm  conviction  that  for  capital- 
ists there  is  no  safer  investment.  The  new  popular  loan 
here,  the  so-called  seven-thirtys,  the  interest  of  which  is 
to  be  paid  in  currency  and  not  in  gold,  goes  forward 
rapidly.  Confidence  is  indestructible,  and  quite  rightly 
so.    Gold  fell  in  the  last  four  weeks  to  about  sixty  per 


324  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

cent,  and  the  farsighted  policy  of  the  new  secretary  of 
the  treasury  will  undoubtedly  soon  restore  us  to  a  specie 
basis.  We  could  carry  on  another  war  without  seriously 
affecting  the  material  resources  of  the  country.  Had 
the  Europeans  understood  the  situation  they  would  have 
sold  all  our  gold  interest-bearing  paper.  The  best 
chances  are  of  course  past,  but  great  sums  are  still  to  be 
made.  Perhaps  you  have  opportunity  here  and  there 
to  get  something  about  America  into  the  press.  To  that 
end  you  may  use  the  notes  I  have  given  you,  of  course 
without  naming  me. 

With  the  close  of  the  war  there  will  come  a  great 
change  in  our  own  living  conditions.  It  goes  without 
saying  that  the  uniform  will  then  be  taken  off,  the  sword 
hung  upon  the  wall;  and  as  this  period  is  approaching, 
we  have  spent  many  an  hour  in  considering  it.  Our  im- 
mediate plan  is  for  Margarethe  to  go  to  Europe  this 
summer,  principally  on  account  of  the  education  of  the 
children.  .  .  .  Little  Emmy  is  the  most  heavenly  crea- 
ture ever  born.  She  is  a  genuine  ray  of  sunshine.  .  .  . 
If  Margarethe  goes  to  Europe  I  shall  come  over  to 
fetch  her  as  soon  as  I  can  get  away.  But  about  these 
matters  pertaining  to  the  future  it  is  not  yet  possible  to 
speak  with  certainty. 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  March  28,  1865 
To  my  great  regret,  I  did  not  find  General  Hancock 
here.  He  is  in  Winchester  and  thither  I  shall  go  in  the 
morning  to  report  to  him.  But  I  have  found  out  here 
that  the  prospects  for  the  corps  look  very  dubious.  The 
recruiting  has  gone  very  badly  in  the  East.    Of  course, 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  325 

I  cannot  know  what  further  arrangements  can  be  made 
until  I  have  seen  Hancock. 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  March  31,  1865 
.  .  .  Day  before  yesterday  I  went  to  Hancock  at 
Winchester.  He  received  me  with  great  friendliness 
and  said  it  would  please  him  greatly  to  have  me  remain 
with  his  command.  He  would  also  gladly  assign  to  me 
all  the  troops  which  were  organized  under  my  auspices, 
but  he  believed  that  the  completion  of  that  organiza- 
tion would  take  a  good  while  yet.  Under  these  circum- 
stances it  was  recognized  as  the  wisest  course  for  me  to 
go  to  see  Grant  at  City  Point  in  order  to  discuss  the 
matter  with  him.  Grant's  friendly  letter  really  left  me 
no  choice  in  the  matter.  From  him  I  can  ascertain  what 
they  plan  to  do  for  the  Hancock  organization.  If  they 
intend  to  support  it  properly  I  will  remain  with  Han- 
cock ;  if  not,  it  would  be  foolish  to  stay  with  him  longer. 
I  will  therefore  do  what  Grant  suggests.  I  go  to  City 
Point  tonight,  returning  probably  not  before  Monday. 
In  City  Point  I  shall  also  find  President  Lincoln,  who, 
it  seems,  is  expecting  peace  offers  from  the  rebels.  Now 
I  can  tell  you,  from  all  that  I  have  ascertained  and  ob- 
served in  military  circles,  that  the  end  of  the  war  is  ap- 
proaching almost  with  mathematical  certainty.  Lee, 
with  his  army,  cannot  last  four — certainly  not  six — 
weeks  more;  the  surrender  of  Richmond  is  expected 
from  day  to  day;  perhaps  arrangements  for  peace  are 
already  in  process.  It  is  becoming  more  and  more  prob- 
able that  the  enemy  will  not  fight  another  great  battle. 


326  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  Sunday,  April  2,  1865 
I  have  just  come  back  from  City  Point.  I  did  not 
find  General  Grant;  he  had  gone  to  the  front  two  days 
before  my  arrival.  But  I  found  my  orders  ready.  The 
adjutant  general,  whom  he  left  behind,  told  me  that 
Grant  had  discussed  with  Sherman  the  new  army  organi- 
zation of  Sherman's  forces  and  he  believed  that  the  or- 
ders for  me  were  made  in  accordance  with  the  results  of 
that  discussion.  I  must  therefore  report  to  Sherman. 
To  try  to  make  new  arrangements  at  this  time  would  be 
impossible;  it  would  look  as  if  I  were  disposed  to  play 
with  them — that  will  not  do.  I  therefore  have  no  choice, 
particularly  since  Grant  unquestionably  had  the  best  in- 
tentions in  what  he  did  for  me.  And  properly  consid- 
ered, he  could  not  have  given  me  greater  satisfaction 
than  to  send  me  back  to  the  command  from  which 
Hooker  separated  me.  .  .  .  Reports  about  Grant, 
which  you  doubtless  already  know,  are  very  favorable. 
Probably  the  decisive  stroke  is  being  dealt  while  I  write 
this  to  you.  The  end  is  certainly  at  hand,  and  when  the 
great  war  is  over  I  will  assuredly  take  the  first  favor- 
able opportunity  to  leave  the  service  and  come  back  to 
you  forever.    It  will  not  be  much  longer  now.  .  .  . 

I  saw  Lincoln  for  a  few  moments  at  City  Point.  He 
was  very  hopeful  and  evidently  awaited  the  hour  when 
the  proposals  of  surrender  should  occur  over  yonder 
[at  Richmond].  I  came  hither  from  City  Point  on  the 
same  boat  with  Mrs.  Lincoln.  The  first  lady  was  over- 
whelmingly charming  to  me ;  she  chided  me  for  not  vis- 
iting her,  overpowered  me  with  invitations,  and  finally 
had  me  driven  to  my  hotel  in  her  own  state  carriage.    I 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  327 

learned  more  state  secrets  in  a  few  hours  than  I  could 
otherwise  in  a  year.  I  wish  I  could  tell  them  to  you. 
She  is  an  astounding  person.  Lincoln  himself  will  re- 
main some  days  longer  at  City  Point,  probably  with 
the  secret  hope  of  receiving  there  the  capitulation  of 
Richmond,  which  indeed  may  come  in  a  very  few 
days.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Monday,  April  3,  1865 
The  news  has  just  come  that  Richmond  is  ours.  I 
told  you  before  that  things  would  wind  up  quickly,  but 
it  goes  faster  than  I  expected.  Lee  cannot  have  saved 
many  of  his  army.  Probably  he  went  to  Danville  to 
unite  with  Johnston. '  He  was  foolish  not  to  capitulate ; 
it  would  have  been  more  respectable. 

I  have  just  now  received  news  that  I  may  be  able  to 
get  away  today.  Good ;  perhaps  I  shall  be  in  at  the  last 
scene  of  the  last  act.  But  you  certainly  can  now  feel 
that  you  need  no  longer  worry.  There  will  naturally 
be  very  little  more  fighting.  The  whole  thing  will  con- 
sist of  marching  and  occupation.  Then  politics  will 
come  into  its  own  once  more.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

GOLDSBOROUGH    [NORTH  CAROLINA  ] 

April  7,  1865 

At  last  I  can  sit  down  quietly  and  tell  you  where 

I  am  and  what  I  have  experienced.    I  left  Washington 

a  few  hours  after  the  glorious  news  from  Richmond. 

Washington  was,  of  course,  in  the  wildest  excitement 


328  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

when  I  left.  On  the  morning  of  the  fourth,  toward  eight 
o'clock,  we  were  in  Fortress  Monroe.  From  there  we 
went  to  Norfolk  and  then,  by  a  small  steamboat,  through 
canal  and  sound  to  Roanoke  Island.  The  journey  led 
through  desolate,  wild,  swampy  regions — a  corner  of 
the  Great  Dismal  Swamp,  which  deserves  its  name 
from  every  point  of  view — morasses  with  rank  vegeta- 
tion in  which  no  human  creature  can  live.  The  night 
of  the  fourth  and  fifth  we  spent  in  a  little  tavern  not 
far  from  Currituck  Sound,  which  you  can  find  on  the 
map,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  fifth  another  steamboat 
received  us  and  carried  us  to  Roanoke  Island,  where  we 
arrived  toward  noon  and  remained  until  six  o'clock  in 
the  evening.  I  utilized  my  free  time  to  visit  one  of  the 
negro  settlements  established  on  this  island.  The  ne- 
groes have  built  themselves  little  wooden  huts.  Every 
family  has  enclosed  its  own  little  garden  and  in  that 
way  those  who  are  able  to  work  gain  their  own  support, 
while  the  government  supports  those  who  are  too  old  or 
are  otherwise  unable  to  work.  There  are  many  thor- 
oughly industrious  people  among  them  who,  by  sensible 
and  persistent  activity,  make  much  more  than  they 
require. 

I  saw  there  a  picture  I  shall  not  easily  forget.  Just 
as  we  were  getting  ready  to  go  to  Newbern,  I  saw 
approaching  a  little  procession  of  negro  women  and 
girls,  singing  loudly.  At  their  head  was  a  white  woman 
somewhat  beyond  the  years  of  youth.  As  the  group 
neared  the  vessel  a  leave-taking  scene  of  extraordinary 
cordiality  occurred.  I  then  heard  that  the  white  lady 
was  a  school  teacher,  naturally  "from  Massachusetts/ ' 
who  had  just  received  orders  from  the  missionary  society 
to  go  to  a  different  post.     It  was  a  moving  scene,  this 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  329 

demonstration  of  love  and  attachment  on  the  part  of 
those  simple  natures  for  the  person  who  had  led  them 
within  the  portals  of  civilization ;  and  this  young  woman 
behaved  like  a  great  loving  mother  who  was  parting 
from  her  children.  On  shipboard  I  was  introduced  to 
the  young  woman,  who  could  not  tell  me  enough  of  the 
eagerness  to  learn  and  the  loyal  devotion  of  these  black 
children  of  nature;  and  also  of  the  difficulties  and 
dangers  which  beset  the  women  teachers.  These  are 
truly  missionaries,  and  indeed  greater  ones  than  many 
about  whom  history  tells  wonderful  and  famous  things. 
Yesterday  morning  at  six  o'clock  I  reached  New- 
bern.  The  news  of  the  capture  of  Richmond  was  not 
yet  known  here  and  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  being  the 
first  to  telegraph  it  to  Sherman.  Immediately  after  my 
arrival  in  Newbern  I  found  several  of  my  old  officers 
who  received  me  with  great  rejoicing.  I  came  hither 
by  rail  at  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Sherman  re- 
ceived me  very  cordially  and  I  found  many  of  my  old 
friends.  The  day  was  passed  in  excitement  over  the 
good  news  and  concluded  with  various  festivities.  To- 
day the  business  of  my  command  was  taken  in  hand. 
But  am  I  not  an  unlucky  wight?  Three  days  ago  a  new 
corps  commander  was  appointed,  a  Major  General 
Mower.  They  had  given  up  looking  for  me  because  I 
stayed  away  so  long.  Now  I  shall  have  to  be  satisfied 
with  a  division.  I  hope  the  matter  will  be  settled  to- 
day. .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Goldsborough,  April  9,  1865 
Since  writing  to  you  the  reports  have  been  more  and 
more  favorable.    It  looks  as  if  it  would  not  be  possible 


330  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

for  Lee  to  form  a  respectable  concentration.  The  busi- 
ness will  hardly  end  in  a  capitulation,  but  probably  in 
the  dissolution  of  the  southern  army.  In  accordance 
with  these  reports  Sherman  has  modified  his  plan.  He 
will  march  from  here  to  Raleigh,  after  which  circum- 
stances will  determine  his  course.  Probably  local  com- 
mands will  then  be  formed  and  the  armies  employed 
for  occupation.  It  is  said  indeed  that  Johnston  is  still 
between  here  and  Raleigh  with  some  effective  forces, 
but  it  hardly  seems  possible  to  me;  there  is  nothing  he 
can  do  here.  I  do  not  believe  that  this  army  will  need 
to  fire  another  cannon  shot.  It  would  be  madness  for 
the  rebels  to  seek  another  engagement.  I  have  received 
an  order  to  report  to  S locum,  which  I  have  done.  Since 
the  allotment  of  one  division  makes  necessary  the  deposi- 
tion of  one  of  the  present  division  commanders,  who  in 
the  present  situation  can  be  spared  (particularly  since 
the  army  in  all  probability  will  no  longer  have  to  fight) , 
I  have  not  insisted  upon  it  [the  division  command]  but 
have  declared  myself  willing  to  march  to  Raleigh  with 
the  headquarters  of  the  army  of  Georgia  and  then  later, 
as  soon  as  the  local  commands  shall  have  been  formed,  to 
take  one  of  them.  I  will  hold  this  command  a  short  time 
and  then  leave  the  service.  Perhaps  in  any  event  a  large 
portion  of  the  army  can  be  discharged  within  a  short 
time. 

Yesterday  I  called  on  the  general  of  the  Twentieth 
Corps  and,  as  I  rode  through  the  camp  of  my  old  regi- 
ment, I  was  received  with  loud  cheers  and  much  hand- 
shaking. On  the  whole,  however,  the  impressions  I  have 
received  in  this  army  are  of  a  depressing  nature.  The 
wild  manner  of  carrying  on  war  which  Sherman  intro- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  331 

duced  must  necessarily  have  produced  an  extremely  de- 
moralizing effect  upon  the  troops.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Headquarters,  Army  of  Georgia,  Raleigh 
April  14,  1865 
We  arrived  at  the  capital  of  North  Carolina  yester- 
day morning.  Since  the  beginning  of  our  march  from 
Goldsborough  the  previous  Monday  we  continually  had 
enemy  cavalry  in  our  front,  which  made  a  stand  here  and 
there  and  retreated  as  soon  as  our  skirmishers  fired  upon 
them.  So  the  march  had  the  aspect  of  a  continual  prog- 
ress in  the  immediate  presence  of  the  enemy.  We  moved 
constantly  over  bad  roads,  through  swamps  and  dense 
thickets.  On  the  eleventh  we  came  to  a  small  place 
called  Smithfield  on  the  river  Neuse.  Johnston's  army 
had  camped  in  the  neighborhood  and  several  days  before 
had  held  a  great  review  there.  It  was  at  that  point  that 
the  report  of  Lee's  capitulation  reached  us.  The  re- 
joicing of  the  soldiers  was  tremendous.  We  naturally 
supposed  that  Johnston's  capitulation  would  follow  on 
the  twelfth;  instead  we  again  heard  the  accustomed 
skirmish  fire  in  our  front  as  we  moved  in  the  direction 
of  Raleigh.  In  the  evening,  however,  as  we  bivouaced 
at  Sully's  Station,  fourteen  miles  from  Raleigh,  the 
whistle  of  a  locomotive  suddenly  surprised  us  and  soon 
there  appeared  a  small  railway  train  under  the  white 
flag.  This  did  not,  indeed,  signify  the  capitulation  of 
Johnston,  but  it  brought  us,  through  a  deputation,  the 
surrender  of  Raleigh.  Accordingly,  yesterday  morn- 
ing about  nine  o'clock  we  entered  the  city  after  a  march 
of  fourteen  miles.    Kilpatrick's  cavalry  preceded  us  by 


332  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

a  couple  of  hours  and  had  already  taken  possession  of 
the  city.  It  is  a  beautiful  little  place  of  not  more  than 
seven  thousand  inhabitants.  The  fears  of  the  people, 
who  had  heard  so  much  of  robbery  and  arson,  were  soon 
quieted.  They  became  trustful,  and  before  night  the 
inhabitants  came  out  with  great  praise  of  the  exemplary 
order  observed  by  the  soldiers. 

But  I  have  not  yet  told  you  who  and  what  I  am:  I 
am  chief  of  staff  and  second  in  command  of  the  Army 
of  Georgia,  which  consists  of  the  Twentieth  and  Four- 
teenth corps  and  is  commanded  by  Slocum.  Slocum 
has  conceived  a  great  partiality  for  me  and  so  this  posi- 
tion suits  me  very  well ;  much  better  than  a  division  com- 
mand would  have  suited  me.  The  staff  consists  of  very 
pleasant  officers,  and  I  have  no  one  over  me  except  the 
army  commander  himself. 

As  to  the  immediate  future,  it  is  probable  that  John- 
ston will  follow  the  example  of  Lee.  Some  of  his  gen- 
erals had  already  expressed  themselves  in  the  matter 
before  they  left  Raleigh.  In  the  event  he  shall  not 
capitulate  within  the  next  few  days,  the  army  will  oc- 
cupy those  points  at  which  he  must  cross  the  streams  if 
he  attempts  to  proceed  southward.  By  very  rapid  move- 
ments he  might  perhaps  slip  past  us,  but  I  do  not  think 
it  probable  since  he  must  realize  the  total  uselessness  of 
a  further  continuance  of  the  war.  According  to  all  re- 
ports that  we  receive  here,  his  army  is  hardly  twenty- 
five  thousand  strong  and  in  a  miserable  condition  in 
every  respect.  ...  In  any  case  it  will  not  be  many  days 
before  the  complete  dissolution  of  the  last  rebel  army 
occurs,  and  as  soon  as  that  takes  place  your  husband  will 
immediately  send  in  his  resignation  to  the  Secretary  of 
War,  and  as  soon  as  the  acceptance  comes  will  make  his 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  333 

way  to  his  wife  and  children.  Then  all  dreams  of  cam- 
paigns and  battles  will  forever  be  past  and  I  shall  pillow 
my  head  upon  the  bosom  of  my  family. 

While  I  am  writing  this,  brigade  after  brigade  is 
marching  past  my  headquarters.  As  far  as  eye  can 
reach  is  a  sea  of  bayonets.  This  morning  the  Fifteenth 
Army  Corps  arrived  and  defiled  before  Sherman,  who 
stood  in  front  of  the  state  capitol.  There  were  several 
generals  with  him,  among  them  myself,  to  participate 
in  the  review.  The  citizens  of  Raleigh,  who  appeared 
in  large  numbers  in  front  of  the  capitol,  observed  the 
spectacle  with  curious  glances.  The  troops  looked 
splendid  and  the  corps  seemed  endless.  Near  me  were 
standing  a  gentleman  and  a  beautiful  young  lady. 
When  the  troops  had  already  been  defiling  for  a  couple 
of  hours,  and  more  and  more  came  on,  I  noticed  that 
the  young  lady  held  her  handkerchief  before  her  eyes. 
A  staff  officer  who  stood  beside  the  pair  told  me  later 
that  she  tearfully  spoke  the  words:  "It  is  all  over  with 
us ;  I  see  now,  it  is  all  over.  A  few  days  ago  I  saw  Gen- 
eral Johnston's  army,  ragged  and  starved;  now  when 
I  look  at  these  strong,  healthy  men  and  see  them  coming 
and  coming — it  is  all  over  with  us !".  .  . 

That  represents  the  universal  feeling  among  the 
rebels  here.  Of  course  the  numerous  Union  men  one 
finds  in  North  Carolina  are  in  ecstasies.  I  have  seen 
old,  snow-white  men  take  off  their  hats  to  the  troops 
and  hold  them  in  their  hands  until  the  columns  had 
moved  past. 

I  am  very  well.  The  weather  is  wonderfully  beauti- 
ful, and  we  are  environed  by  the  glory  of  the  southern 
springtime.  The  trees  are  already  in  full  bloom  and 
the  gardens  are  gay  with  flowers.     Do  you  know  the 


334  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

beautiful  song  "Now  all,  all  must  change"  [ Jetzt  muss 
sich  alles,  alles  wenden]  ?  This  is  my  mood.  For  when 
I  see  anything  that  pleases  me  I  always  think  the  best 
is  that  the  war  is  coming  to  an  end  and  I  may  go  to  my 
home.  .  .  . 


Mrs.  Schurz  to  Her  Husband™ 

Bethlehem,  April  21,  1865 
Now  you  know  all  and  I  see  you  sitting  still  and 
alone,  thinking,  thinking,  thinking.  All  that  Lincoln 
ever  said  to  you,  the  little  differences  which  you  and  he 
had,  and  the  great  hours ;  everything  goes  through  youi* 
mind  now  and  makes  you  alternately  glad  and  sorrow- 
ful. Now  he  is  laid  away,  and  yesterday  all  the  people 
of  our  little  city  went  in  a  long  procession  to  the  ceme- 
tery, where  we  heard  a  beautiful  speech  by  Dr.  F.,  and 
then  to  the  church,  where  there  was  splendid  music.  It 
was  my  first  long  walk;  I  went  with  the  children.  We 
were  all  dressed  in  black  and  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  I 
were  following  the  corpse  of  a  faithful  old  father.  I 
wept  to  my  heart's  content,  and  Dr.  F.'s  address  was 
extremely  moving  to  all.  All  is  quiet  again,  and  in  my 
soul  a  raging,  piercing  sorrow  has  been  quieted  and  I 
say  to  myself:  "He  could  not  have  died  more  happily 
than  now;  without  pain,  in  sight  of  his  victories,  to  fall 
like  a  hero!"  And  what  you  have  always  said  is  true; 
that,  after  Washington,  he  is  our  greatest  president  and 
the  greatest  emancipator.  How  happy  I  am  that  you 
served  him  so  loyally !  .  .  . 

63  Cf.  Schurz's  letter  of  April  18  to  his  wife.    Speeches,  etc.,  i,  252ff. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  335 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  May  1,  1865 
I  have  just  come  in  and  hasten  to  give  you  notice  of 
the  fact  before  the  mail  closes.  I  shall  report  to  Grant 
today  and  probably  resign  my  commission  tomorrow. 
It  will  probably  be  a  couple  of  days  before  everything  is 
arranged.  Naturally  in  view  of  the  great  changes  which 
have  taken  place  I  must  also  look  about  me  a  little  in 
the  political  world.    Now  for  an  early,  happy  reunion ! 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  May  4,  1865 
Bad  luck  would  have  it  that  Grant  had  gone  to  Phil- 
adelphia, wherefore  my  resignation  could  not  be  carried 
through  the  proper  tribunals.  .  .  . 

I  am  now  impatient  to  withdraw  from  soldiering 
and  begin  a  regulated  activity  in  which  there  is  a  future. 
That  we  shall  arrange  for  together,  with  pleasure.  I 
have  seen  Andie  Johnson.  He  invited  me  to  a  long  con- 
sultation in  which  I  was  to  lay  before  him  my  views  on 
the  present  situation  and  the  policy  to  be  pursued.  So 
far  he  seems  all  right ;  there  are  no  longer  any  traces  of 
bad  habits,  and  the  hints  he  gives  in  regard  to  policy 
permit  us  to  hope  from  him  on  the  whole  an  energetic 
and  at  the  same  time  discreet  use  of  his  executive  powers. 


To  His  Wife 

Washington,  May  19,  1865 
I  had  paper  on  the  table  and  was  about  to  sit  down 
comfortably  when   General   S  locum   arrived  with  his 


336  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

staff,  thus  for  several  hours  making  it  impossible  to 
think  of  writing.  Yesterday  I  had  an  interview  with 
the  President  concerning  the  Davis  case,  and  he  ap- 
peared to  take  up  with  much  satisfaction  the  idea  that  I 
should  participate  in  it.  But  inasmuch  as  other  things 
relating  to  this  matter  are  still  all  in  the  dark,  particu- 
larly as  it  is  not  yet  known  whether  the  case  will  be  tried 
here  or  in  Richmond,  I  have  naturally  been  unable  to 
reach  a  decision  as  yet. 


To  His  Wife 

Washington,  May  21,  1865 
My  relations  with  the  President  [Andrew  John- 
son] are  improving  steadily.  I  saw  him  yesterday  in 
order  to  talk  over  the  business  of  Texas  and  Mexico  and 
to  impart  to  him  my  fear  that  an  understanding  existed 
between  the  rebel  leader  Kirby  Smith  and  the  Emperor 
of  Mexico.  Such  an  understanding,  in  its  consequences, 
might  involve  us  in  difficulties  not  alone  with  Mexico 
but  also  with  France.  I  therefore  suggested  to  him  to 
cause  immediate  steps  to  be  taken  by  our  minister  in 
Paris  which  might  lead  to  the  clarification  and  strength- 
ening of  our  relations  with  France  in  certain  eventuali- 
ties. He  answered  me  with  the  request  that  I  should 
go  over  to  the  State  Department  and  say  to  Mr. 
Hunter,  who  is  momentarily  in  Seward's  place,  what  I 
thought  of  the  posture  of  affairs  and  what  he  ought  to 
write  to  our  minister  in  Paris  concerning  it.  I  replied 
that  I  should  hesitate  to  do  this,  that  it  was  Seward's 
department  and  I  did  not  like  to  climb  over  Seward's 
fences.    He  had  better  give  his  direct  orders  in  the  mat- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  337 

ter,  since  he  alone  could  give  instructions  to  his  secre- 
tary of  state.  He  laughed  and  said  I  was  right,  but  he 
would  do  what  I  had  advised.  This  incident  shows  that 
I  am  in  a  good  way  to  acquire  here  a  personal  influence 
which,  in  certain  contingencies,  may  prove  of  great  sig- 
nificance. .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  Friday  noon,  May  26,  1865 
Only  a  few  words,  as  I  shall  probably  leave  at  the 
same  time  that  this  letter  goes — at  least  possibly.  This 
morning  I  had  a  long  conversation  with  the  President 
about  the  entire  situation.  He  seemed  uncertain  and 
perplexed.  I  offered  several  suggestions  which  to  all 
appearances  made  an  impression  upon  him.  At  the  end 
of  the  conversation  he  asked  me  (since  I  had  told  him 
I  wanted  to  leave  today)  whether  I  would  return  at 
once  if  he  should  telegraph  me.  I  said  I  would,  and  he 
answered  he  would  require  my  presence  again  next 
week.  So  we  parted.  Afterwards  it  occurred  to  me 
that  if  he  wanted  me  back  at  the  beginning  of  next  week 
I  might  just  as  well  stay  here.  I  wrote  him  as  much, 
with  the  request  that  he  let  me  know  something  definite 
before  five  o'clock  this  afternoon.  I  am  now  awaiting 
his  answer. 

To  Henry  Meyer 

Bethlehem,  June  15,  1865 
First  let  me  thank  you  for  the  beautiful  present, 
The  Life  of  Caesar }  which  arrived  while  I  was  in  North 
Carolina  to  help  catch  Johnston's  army.    We  are  now 


338  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

through,  at  least  with  the  war,  and  can  give  ourselves 
quietly  to  the  problems  of  peaceful  development.  The 
uniform  has  been  laid  aside,  the  sword  hangs  on  the  wall ; 
the  children  play  with  the  riding- whip  and  spurs.  I  left 
the  army  immediately  after  the  surrender  of  the  rebel 
armies  and  am  sitting  happily  in  the  midst  of  my  family. 
We  would  already  have  gone  West  had  it  not  been  so 
difficult  to  undertake  the  long  journey  with  our  baby 
in  this  summer  heat.  Besides,  I  have  certain  literary 
labors  in  hand  which  I  can  finish  here  as  well.  With  the 
end  of  the  war  new  ways  naturally  open  for  me — but 
of  these  I  will  write  you  later  when  I  see  somewhat  more 
clearly.  .  .  . 

Whether  or  not  I  shall  go  back  into  public  service  I 
do  not  yet  know;  I  fancy  not,  although  I  could  do  so. 
Unless  one  gets  into  a  position  in  which  he  can  accom- 
plish something  special  it  never  pays.  A  man  loses  in- 
fluence— for  the  most  independent  man  always  has  the 
greatest  influence  upon  public  opinion — and  one  gains 
nothing  in  a  material  way.  The  President  has  tele- 
graphed me  and  in  response  to  his  invitation  I  shall  go 
to  Washington  within  three  days.  I  do  not  know  what 
he  wants  of  me.  Probably  I  am  to  help  about  recon- 
struction. You  will  receive  a  copy  of  my  speeches  with 
this  letter.  The  edition  has  been  on  the  market  for  some 
weeks,  but  the  printer  has  delayed  sending  me  well- 
bound  copies.  .  .  . 

To  Frederick  Althaus 

Bethlehem,  June  25,  1865 
I  now  write  again,  and  with  the  full  consciousness 
of  how  inexplicable  my  long  silence  must  seem  to  you 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  339 

and  how  inexcusable  it  appears  to  me.  The  period  we 
have  just  completed  concentrated  the  mind  with  such 
inexorableness  upon  immediate  problems  that  it  was 
difficult  to  keep  up  a  correspondence  with  those  who 
were  not,  like  ourselves,  under  the  direct  influence  of  the 
same  events.  And  once  you  get  out  of  epistolary  con- 
tact with  even  the  dearest  and  most  trusted  friend,  the 
resumption  of  relationships  becomes  more  difficult  day 
by  day.    You  understand  that  and  will  forgive  me. 

At  last  we  are  past  the  time  of  trouble,  storm,  and 
stress.  The  thunder  of  the  cannon  has  ceased,  the  dead 
have  been  buried,  and  we  begin  again  to  make  plans  for 
the  future  without  the  stipulation:  "Provided,  that 
until  then  the  bullet  shall  not  have  found  me."  The 
perplexities  into  which  the  war  cast  us  are  disappearing 
and  the  problems  of  the  immediate  future  begin  to  pre- 
sent themselves  more  clearly.  I  see  that  Europeans 
know  how  to  appreciate  the  value  of  our  victory,  and 
inasmuch  as  I  have  observed  things  directly  and  have 
occasionally  gained  insight  into  hidden  causes,  I  can  say 
to  you  it  is  impossible  to  speak  too  highly  of  the  Ameri- 
can people.  In  tenacity,  readiness  to  sacrifice,  con- 
tempt of  danger,  moderation  in  victory,  loyalty  to  pur- 
pose, no  nation  of  the  world  has  ever  exceeded  them. 
In  Europe  you  know  only  the  externals  of  our  affairs ; 
you  have  an  approximate  idea  of  the  battles  we  fought, 
the  numbers  of  killed  and  missing,  of  the  taxes  we  paid, 
and  the  tremendous  sums  we  expended.  But  you  know 
nothing  of  the  voluntary  efforts  put  forth  or  the  volun- 
tary sacrifices  made  by  private  individuals  who  simply 
followed  the  impulses  of  patriotism.  You  do  not  know, 
over  there,  how  in  everything  that  was  done  and  sacri- 
ficed the  spirit  of  the  people  outran  the  government,  and 


340  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

with  what  stoic  resolution  the  masses  went  to  the  ballot 
box  in  the  last  presidential  election  to  vote  upon  them- 
selves taxes,  conscriptions,  and  battle  fields. 

Lincoln's  strength  consisted  not  in  his  genius,  for 
he  did  not  possess  actual  genius.  He  was  strong  because 
he  was  the  living  embodiment  of  the  popular  will.  He 
felt  instinctively  the  convictions  and  determination  of 
the  people  because  these  went  through  the  same  course 
of  development  in  him  as  in  the  masses;  and  what  he 
said  and  did  was  the  popular  opinion  expressed  in  the 
popular  speech  and  fulfilled  in  the  popular  manner. 
For  this  reason  he  was  slow  in  taking  steps,  and  never 
stepped  backward.  Also,  that  is  the  reason  why  the 
assassination  of  Lincoln  affected  the  popular  heart  so 
deeply.  Never  was  the  sorrow  of  a  nation  more  univer- 
sal and  more  sincere.  It  was  a  genuine  family  sorrow 
freed  from  official  affectation.  The  people  never  had  a 
more  loyal  representative.  For  the  moment,  his  death 
did  not  indeed  change  the  political  situation,  but  I  fear 
the  development  of  things  will  teach  us  to  mourn  him 
doubly.  Lincoln  indeed  was  not  the  enlightened  mind 
who  could  instantly  grasp  the  whole  tendency  of  a 
period;  but  through  clear  observation  and  slow  decision 
he  always  at  last  came  to  the  right  view.  Besides,  he 
was  definite  and  inflexible.  Johnson,  I  fear,  is  a  nar- 
rower mind.  He  is  not  devoid  of  talent,  but  we  shall 
have  to  see  whether  he  possesses  clearness  and  decision. 
The  problem  which  remains  for  us  to  solve  is  in  one 
respect  more  difficult  than  those  problems  already 
solved.  To  restore  the  Union  in  political  form  is  a 
trifling  matter.  The  former  rebels  are  taking  the  oath 
of  loyalty  with  pleasure  and  are  eager  to  come  back  into 
the  old  rights  of  self-government  under  the  constitu- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  341 

tion.  But  our  aim  is  not  fulfilled  by  that  means.  The 
Union  must  be  reconstructed  upon  the  basis  of  the  re- 
sults of  the  great  social  revolution  brought  about  during 
the  war  in  the  South.  A  free  labor  society  must  be  es- 
tablished and  built  up  on  the  ruins  of  the  slave  labor 
society. 

Now,  the  difficulty  lies  here:  The  Southern  people 
have  not  abandoned  their  proslavery  sentiments.  They 
accept  the  abolition  of  slavery  because  they  must.  As 
soon  as  the  former  slave  states  shall  have  achieved 
state  autonomy  the  status  of  the  former  slaves  will  be 
fixed  in  a  way  as  near  slavery  as  possible.  And  then 
the  central  government  will  no  longer  have  the  right  to 
interfere.  That  is  to  say,  the  development  and  promo- 
tion of  a  great  social  revolution  would  be  confided  to  a 
population  which  is  thoroughly  hostile  to  the  tendencies 
of  this  revolution.  The  problem  is  how  to  obviate  this 
danger.  For  the  present,  so  long  as  the  states  are  not 
restored  to  their  constitutional  relations  with  the  central 
government,  that  government  has  the  power  in  its  hands 
and  can  find  the  means  through  which  the  results  of  the 
revolution  can  be  so  fixed  that  thereafter  the  southern 
population  can  no  longer  alter  them. 

The  question  is  now  being  agitated  with  great 
energy;  the  next  Congress  will  have  to  decide  it  for  the 
time  being.  A  particularly  important  role  has  been 
assigned  to  me  in  this  business.  President  Johnson, 
whose  confidence  I  possess  to  a  considerable  extent  al- 
though I  do  not  share  all  his  opinions,  asked  me  to  make 
a  journey  for  him  into  the  southern  states  to  study  the 
conditions  and  make  reports  and  recommendations  to 
him  as  to  the  policy  that  should  be  pursued.  My  report, 
which  will  probably  be  laid  before  Congress,  can  per- 


342  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

haps  be  so  shaped  as  to  play  a  distinctive  role  in  this 
weighty  business.  I  shall  probably  start  out  in  a  few 
days  to  perform  this  duty. 

This  journey  will  naturally  defer  by  two  or  three 
months  the  fulfillment  of  my  favorite  wish  to  live 
quietly  with  my  family.  But  the  posture  of  affairs  so 
imperatively  demands  the  service  which  I  can  give  to 
the  country,  that  I  cannot  decline  and  must  submit  with- 
out murmur.  Aside  from  this,  I  have  no  intention  of 
remaining  in  public  service,  although  favorable  oppor- 
tunities for  it  stand  open.  I  shall  preserve  my  inde- 
pendence at  this  time  and  thus  assure  to  myself  a  direct 
influence  upon  public  opinion. 

I  would  tell  you  much  about  our  family  affairs,  but 
Margarethe  has  anticipated  me  therein.  The  entire  cast 
of  our  life  is  so  bound  up  with  public  interests  that  when 
I  have  told  you  of  the  latter  I  have  at  the  same  time 
described  to  you  something  of  the  former.  I  must  tell 
you,  however,  that  our  youngest,  who  is  not  related  to 
political  questions  otherwise  than  that  she  is  named 
Savannah  because  her  birth  occurred  contemporane- 
ously with  the  capture  of  the  city,  a  genuine  war  child, 
is  the  most  heavenly  creature  you  can  imagine.  There 
is  nothing  more  charming. 

I  am  aware  that  it  is  shameless  in  me,  after  so  long 
a  silence  on  my  part,  to  demand  that  you  should  write 
me  very  soon  and  very  fully  about  yourself  and  yours. 
But  you  will  do  it,  quite  fully,  will  you  not? 

To  His  Wife 
Hilton  Head  [South  Carolina] 
July  26,  1865 
Last  week,  the  day  after  I  wrote  you,  I  went  into 
the  interior  as  far  as  Columbia,  the  ruined  city,  in  which 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  343 

eleven  hundred  houses  were  burned  during  the  presence 
of  Sherman's  army.  Had  you  been  with  me  you  would 
have  had  to  laugh  at  your  earlier  worry  about  travel  in 
this  region  being  insecure.  It  is  not  more  peaceful  in 
any  quarter  of  the  world.  There  is  not  the  slightest 
trace  of  guerrilla  warfare.  Our  military  commanders  no 
longer  think  of  surrounding  themselves  with  the  slight- 
est protective  measures.  The  people  here  are  glad  that 
they  are  alive  from  one  day  to  the  next  and  that  the 
government  gives  them  rations  if  they  have  nothing  to 
eat. 

I  went  from  Charleston  to  Orangeburg  by  rail  at 
the  rate  of  about  ten  miles  per  hour  in  a  heat  of  ninety- 
five  degrees;  and  from  there  to  Columbia  during  the 
night  in  a  wagon  drawn  by  four  mules.  I  got  into  com- 
munication with  the  leading  inhabitants,  made  my  ob- 
servations, and  then,  after  a  stay  of  two  days,  drove 
during  the  night  of  Friday  to  Saturday  back  to  Charles- 
ton. The  return  journey  was  adventurous  to  this  ex- 
tent, that  the  wagon  broke  down  five  miles  from  Colum- 
bia, whereupon  we  had  to  take  horses  and  ride  the  re- 
maining thirty-five  miles,  which  brought  us  to  Orange- 
burg before  seven  o'clock  Saturday  morning.  Then 
again  by  rail  to  Charleston  with  the  same  slowness  and 
in  the  same  temperature.  .  .  . 

There  is  no  visible  trace  of  contagious  diseases,  and 
according  to  official  reports  the  entire  coast  is  free  from 
them.  There  is  a  very  strict  quarantine  which  renders 
it  probable  that  we  shall  get  over  the  summer  and  fall 
smoothly.  Yesterday  I  came  to  this  place  from  Charles- 
ton and  shall  remain  with  General  Gillmore  today  and 
tomorrow  for  the  purpose  of  working  out  my  report  to 
the  President,  at  least  so  far  as  it  relates  to  South  Caro- 


344  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

lina.  I  have  come  to  the  firm  conviction  that  the  policy 
of  the  government  is  the  worst  that  could  be  hit  upon. 
At  this  moment  it  is  impossible  to  calculate  the  results. 

To  His  Wife 

Savannah,  July  30,  1865 
...  I  reached  here  day  before  yesterday.  Gen- 
eral Gillmore,  who  has  treated  me  in  the  most  amiable 
and  obliging  manner,  accompanied  me  hither.  Every- 
thing is  made  as  pleasant  and  convenient  as  possible  for 
me,  and  since  it  is  my  problem  to  see  and  interrogate  all 
the  people  within  my  reach  from  whom  any  real  enlight- 
enment can  be  derived,  I  am  active  from  morning  till 
night  and  can  hardly  find  the  necessary  time  to  make  my 
notes ;  and  I  am  heartily  tired  when,  at  retiring  time,  I 
take  leave  of  my  last  guests.  Then  I  have  to  write  my 
report  and  newspaper  correspondence  in  the  night,  or 
whenever  a  favorable  interval  of  rest  offers  during  the 
day.  I  have  to  wait  here  for  the  next  steamer  going  to 
Augusta.  The  water  in  Savannah  River  is  very  low; 
they  can  use  only  boats  of  less  than  three  feet  draught. 

Savannah  is  a  beautiful  country  town  of  twenty  to 
twenty-five  thousand  population,  in  times  past  the  win- 
ter home  of  rich  planters.  There  is  no  special  elegance 
about  the  houses,  and  what  make  the  city  actually 
pretty  are  the  beautiful  shade  trees  along  the  streets 
and  the  multitude  of  small  parks  and  squares  which  one 
finds  almost  every  three  blocks.  My  investigations  are 
making  good  progress.  I  see  many  a  new  thing  which 
strengthens  me  in  the  conviction  that  the  restoration  of 
civil  government  is  not  yet  possible.    To  be  sure,  there  is 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  345 

profound  peace;  of  the  predicted  guerrilla  war  there  is 
no  trace.  Our  officers  go  hither  and  yon  through  the 
country  without  the  slightest  danger,  but  it  is  only  a 
passive  submission.  The  new  labor  system  is  nowhere 
taken  up  with  eagerness,  and  they  are  unquestionably 
thinking  of  subjecting  the  negroes  to  some  kind  of  slav- 
ery again  after  the  restoration  of  civil  government  and 
the  withdrawal  of  our  troops.  There  is  the  greatest  con- 
fusion of  ideas  about  what  is  to  be  done,  and  if  the 
people  here  shall  now  be  permitted  to  make  their  own 
laws  the  confusion  will  be  worse  confounded.  In  my 
report  about  South  Carolina  I  advised  the  President  to 
suspend  the  reconstruction  movement  until  later  because 
the  people  are  becoming  more  and  more  confused. 

There  will  always  be  postal  connections  with  the  out- 
side ;  that  is  to  say,  military  posts,  so  that  my  letters  can 
reach  you. 


To  His  Wife 

Atlanta,  Georgia,  August  9,  1865 
I  have  allowed  several  days  to  pass  without  writing 
because  there  was  no  direct  communication.  I  left  Sa- 
vannah last  Wednesday  on  a  river  steamboat  and  only 
reached  Augusta  Saturday  evening.  The  voyage  up  Sa- 
vannah River  was  extremely  tedious,  the  region  ex- 
tremely monotonous — nothing  but  forest,  of  course  a 
splendid  vegetation,  but  interrupted  only  here  and  there 
by  a  few  miserable  plantations.  For  two  days  we  saw 
no  houses.  The  accommodations  on  the  steamer  were 
bad,  the  company  indifferent.  Besides,  we  made  only 
about  five  miles  per  hour  and  lay-to  at  night. 


346  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

In  Augusta  it  was  daylight  again.  I  was  received 
in  the  pleas  ant  est  manner  by  General  Steedman,  who 
commands  in  Georgia,  and  I  conducted  my  inquiries 
with  the  greatest  success.  While  I  made  many  discov- 
eries which  throw  new  light  upon  a  nmnber  of  things, 
I  found  more  and  more  that  the  opinions  concerning 
the  state  of  affairs  which  I  brought  with  me  were  cor- 
rect on  the  whole  and  even  in  particulars.  Augusta 
is  a  pretty  fine  town  with  some  twenty  thousand  inhabi- 
tants; wide  streets,  some  planted  with  quadruple  rows 
of  trees.  The  place  suffered  not  at  all  from  the  war, 
since  Sherman's  army  did  not  touch  it. 

Yesterday  morning  I  left  Augusta  in  the  railway 
coach  originally  equipped  for  General  Thomas,  consist- 
ing of  a  small  salon  with  four  sofas,  a  bedroom,  a  dining 
room  with  table  and  armchairs,  and  a  kitchen.  So  I 
came  to  this  place  in  a  comfortable  manner.  But  who 
should  greet  me  here  at  the  railway  station?  Prince 
Salm,  who  is  commanding  here!  He  has  done  every- 
thing to  make  me  comfortable.  The  Princess  is  also 
here,  but  sick.  Atlanta  may  have  been  a  more  beautiful 
place  formerly.  Sherman  burned  about  three-quarters 
of  the  city.  The  main  streets,  especially  the  whole  busi- 
ness section,  he  in  ruins.  They  have  just  begun  to  erect 
small  one-story  buildings  out  of  the  bricks  of  the  ruins. 
The  whole  makes  a  sorrowful  impression.  The  popula- 
tion is  as  bitter  as  ever.  This  is  the  only  place  in  whose 
neighborhood  there  is  still  something  like  guerrilla  war- 
fare, which  however  is  directed  only  against  negroes. 
Almost  every  day  some  are  brought  in  with  gun-  and 
knife- wounds.  The  planters  of  the  neighborhood  ap- 
pear to  have  organized  themselves  for  the  purpose  of 
compelling  negroes  to  work  as  they  formerly  did  in 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  347 

slavery,  and  when  a  negro  dares  to  leave  he  is  shot. 
Only  yesterday  a  negro  was  shot  in  the  stomach  here  on 
the  street.  I  visited  him  in  the  hospital.  This  evening 
he  died.  The  assassin  was  arrested  and  will  soon  get  his 
deserts  at  the  hands  of  the  military  commission.  They 
will  doubtless  hang  him  as  an  example.  .  .  . 

Georgia  has  cost  me  more  time  than  I  expected  on 
account  of  bad  connections.  I  hope  it  will  go  faster 
now.  I  have  to  endure  a  good  deal  of  heat  but  do  not 
suffer  from  it.  .  .  . 


To  His  Wife 

Macon,  Georgia,  August  14,  1865 
My  last  interviews  have  been  held.  My  report  on 
the  status  of  things  in  Georgia  is  ready  and  tomorrow 
I  shall  leave  the  city  to  go  to  the  capital  of  Alabama. 
When  I  reached  here  last  Friday  Governor  Johnson 
was  gone  to  Milledgeville,  whither  I  was  obliged  to  fol- 
low him.  I  ordered  a  special  train  immediately  and 
went  the  same  evening.  Milledgeville,  the  capital  of 
Georgia,  is  a  miserable  little  place  about  which  there 
is  nothing  more  remarkable  to  tell  than  that  a  remote, 
miserable  place  can  be  the  capital  of  a  state.  I  passed 
the  night  with  Governor  Johnson  and  am  glad  to  be 
able  to  say  that  I  found  in  him  the  kind  of  man  we  need. 
He  recognizes  fully  the  significance  of  the  problem 
we  have  to  solve  and  the  magnitude  of  the  difficulties  by 
which  it  is  surrounded.  He  is  willing  to  go  hand  in 
hand  with  us  in  regard  to  all  regulations  we  may  find 
necessary  for  introducing  a  general  system  of  free 
labor.    Of  all  men  with  whom  I  have  come  in  contact  in 


348  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

the  South,  he  is  the  clearest,  most  resolute  and  de- 
termined. If  the  accident  which  made  him  provisional 
governor  were  to  give  us  similar  men  for  the  other 
states,  matters  would  stand  much  better. 

Saturday  morning  I  went  back  to  Macon  and  am 
here  with  General  Croxton,  a  young  man  from  Ken- 
tucky, a  splendid  fellow  who  has  kept  himself  entirely 
free  from  the  demoralizing  influences  of  his  home  insti- 
tutions. Although  the  son  of  a  slaveholder  I  found  in 
him  an  abolitionist  of  the  most  radical  sort.  He  is  an 
eager  advocate  of  negro  suffrage  and  I  fear  that  I 
seem  to  him  rather  too  conservative  than  too  radical. 
I  also  found  here  Major-General  Wilson,  who  com- 
manded the  last  great  cavalry  expedition  and  distin- 
guished himself  particularly  in  the  capture  of  Selma  and 
the  organization  of  the  forest  corps.  His  is  a  frank, 
lively,  youthful  nature  and  he  overwhelmed  me  with 
civilities. 

Macon  is  a  nice  place  with  broad,  airy  streets  which 
would  leave  with  me  very  pleasant  memories  if  it  had 
not  been  so  infamously  hot.  The  days  I  spent  here 
were  the  hottest  and  most  debilitating  of  my  entire 
journey.  It  is  said  that  in  this  respect  Macon  is  worse 
than  any  other  place  in  the  South. 

To  His  Wife 

New  Orleans,  September  2,  1865 
I  arrived  here  last  night,  and  this  morning  on  visit- 
ing General  Canby,  sure  enough  I  found  four  letters 
all  at  once.  .  .  . 

I  spent  two  days  in  Vicksburg  with  General  Slocum, 
who  being  in  conflict  with  the  governor  of  the  state  re- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  349 

ceived  me  as  a  real  help  in  time  of  trouble.  Slocum  is 
fully  in  the  right  when  he  opposes  the  organization  of 
a  state  militia,  especially  to  the  extent  proposed  by  the 
governor.  If  the  government  disavows  him  and  sus- 
tains the  governor,  it  will  be  the  most  irresponsible  trick 
so  far  enacted  in  Washington.  I  have  done  everything 
that  was  possible  through  reports  and  telegraphic  dis- 
patches. If  it  fails  to  help,  it  will  not  be  my  fault.  If 
the  President  persists  in  pursuing  a  false  course  he  must 
not  be  surprised  if,  later,  I  bring  into  the  field  against 
him  all  the  artillery  I  am  assembling  now.  He  will  find 
the  armament  pretty  heavy,  but  I  continue  to  hope  it 
will  not  be  needed.  .  .  . 

I  went  to  the  St.  Charles  Hotel,  at  one  time  one  of 
the  best  in  the  country,  now  however  in  a  greatly  deterio- 
rated condition.  This  morning  General  Canby  quartered 
me  in  his  house,  a  house  of  course  that  belonged  to  a 
wealthy  rebel  and  which  was  commandeered  by  the  gov- 
ernment. I  am  therefore  nicely  fixed,  have  my  private 
bathroom  and  all  imaginable  conveniences.  New  Or- 
leans, to  judge  from  what  I  have  thus  far  seen,  has  quite 
the  character  of  a  great  city  in  contrast  to  the  places  I 
have  so  far  visited  in  this  section  of  the  country.  The 
French  element  is  much  more  numerous  and  prominent 
than  I  had  supposed.  There  are  multitudes  of  French 
business  signs  and  you  hear  the  French  tongue  on  all 
sides.  A  large  section  of  the  city  is  almost  exclusively 
occupied  by  French  inhabitants  and  has  all  the  distinc- 
tive peculiarities  that  meet  us  in  the  cities  of  France. 

I  found  a  genuine  mine  of  information  here  in  the 
headquarters  and  in  the  Freedman's  Bureau,  and  in 
order  to  cover  it  properly  I  shall  have  to  stay  here 
several  days.    Besides,  conditions  here,  by  reason  of  the 


350  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

long  occupation,  are  more  developed  than  elsewhere  and 
I  have  a  multitude  of  persons  to  see.  We  have  recon- 
struction and  civil  government  in  all  stages  of  develop- 
ment here.  Probably  in  the  course  of  the  week  I  may 
go  for  a  couple  of  days  to  Mobile,  where  the  commander 
of  the  department  of  Alabama  has  his  headquarters ;  in 
that  department  there  is  much  rottenness.  On  my  re- 
turn I  shall  visit  a  couple  of  places  in  the  interior  of 
the  state  and  then  ascend  the  river  to  St.  Louis.  I  am, 
moreover,  expecting  a  dispatch  from  the  President 
which  may  call  for  the  investigation  of  one  or  another 
specific  matter.  .  .  . 

Keep  cheerful  and  well.  We  shall  soon  be  together 
again. 

To  His  Wife 

New  Orleans,,  September  12,  1865 
My  stay  here  drags  out  longer  than  I  had  originally 
expected.  Political  conditions  are  much  confused  and 
it  is  necessary  not  only  that  I  see  and  listen  to  the 
classes  of  people  with  whom  I  sympathize,  but  especially 
that  I  get  in  touch  with  the  constituted  authorities.  It 
was  unfortunate  that  Governor  Wells  went  to  his  own 
home  on  the  upper  Red  River  a  couple  of  days  prior  to 
my  arrival  and  has  not  yet  returned.  He  is  expected 
today  or  tomorrow  and  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  I 
see  him.  .  .  . 

You  have  doubtless  heard  of  the  conflict  between 
General  Slocum  and  General  Sharkey  and  the  subse- 
quent decision  of  the  President.  Nothing  could  have 
been  more  unfortunate  than  this  decision.  To  withdraw 
the  troops  now  and  organize  the  militia  means  to  re-arm 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  351 

the  rebels.  The  result  will  be  a  sharp  and  perhaps 
bloody  persecution  of  the  negroes  and  the  Union  men. 
It  is  now  my  function  to  investigate  the  results  of  this 
unfortunate  policy,  and  I  am  unable  to  forecast  how 
long  that  may  delay  me.  At  all  events,  the  inquiry 
must  be  thorough  to  the  end  that  it  may  yield  depend- 
able results.  The  developments  here  on  the  whole  are 
bad.  The  proslavery  element  is  gaining  the  upper  hand 
everywhere  and  the  policy  of  the  government  is  such  as 
to  encourage  this  outcome.  .  .  . 

I  had  a  peculiar  experience  today,  which  made  a 
deep  impression  upon  me.  An  old  gentleman  was  in- 
troduced to  me  in  the  office  of  former  Governor  Hahn. 
He  was  dressed  with  the  simple  elegance  of  the  cosmo- 
politan person  of  taste,  and  was  so  fluent  and  versatile 
in  conversation  that  I  was  forced  to  recognize  in  him  a 
man  of  more  than  ordinary  talent  and  of  varied  expe- 
rience. In  the  course  of  the  conversation  he  thanked  me 
for  my  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  colored  race  and  remarked 
that  he  did  it  with  all  the  more  warmth  since  he  had  a 
strong  personal  interest  in  the  matter.  I  did  not  under- 
stand the  remark  until  he  told  me  that  he  was  himself  a 
colored  man.  There  is  no  country  of  the  world,  save 
this,  in  which  he  would  not  be  received  as  a  gentleman 
of  the  upper  class.  I  cannot  describe  the  impression  I 
received.  But  I  shall  give  expression  to  it  when  I  begin 
speaking  again.  There  are  twenty  thousand  of  these 
old  "free  colored"  persons  in  this  state,  many  of  whom 
are  wealthy  (they  represent  a  capital  of  more  than  thir- 
teen million  dollars)  and  are  among  the  most  cultivated 
people  of  the  country.  .  .  . 

I  am  very  weary  of  this  separation.  It  shall  truly 
be  the  last. 


352  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

To  His  Wife 

New  Orleans,  September  20,  1865 
...  In  the  state  of  Mississippi  I  have  to  investigate 
the  effects  of  a  stupid  military  policy  and  then  my  labors 
will  be  ended.  It  will  probably  require  a  journey  into 
the  interior  unless  adequate  reports  shall  have  come  in 
from  all  counties,  which  is  hardly  to  be  expected.  I 
wrote  the  President  in  my  last  letter  that  I  would  con- 
sider my  duty  discharged  as  soon  as  the  three  months 
I  promised  him  I  would  devote  to  it  should  be  passed. 
I  expect  to  receive  the  last  dispatch  from  him  in  Vicks- 
burg. 

My  journey  into  the  interior  here  was  not  unin- 
teresting. I  went  by  rail  to  Brashear  and  from  there 
by  government  steamboat  up  the  Teche  Bayou  to 
Franklin  and  New  Iberia.  The  voyage  on  the  river 
was  very  fine.  The  most  magnificent  plantations  on 
the  river  banks  are  varied  with  wild,  half -tropical,  primi- 
tive forests ;  the  air  is  full  of  rare  birds,  and  the  water  is 
alive  with  uncounted  alligators.  Upon  our  return  jour- 
ney we  provided  ourselves  with  rifles  and  from  the  lower 
deck  of  our  steamboat  were  entertained  by  a  lively  alli- 
gator hunt  in  which  at  least  four  were  killed  and  eight 
or  nine  wounded. 

But  the  people,  the  people!  Without  strength, 
without  energy,  without  will!  Hardly  a  single  planta- 
tion is  being  worked.  The  most  fertile  soil  in  the  world 
lies  fallow.  Nothing  but  murmuring  and  complaining. 
Nothing  will  come  of  this  country  unless  the  ownership 
of  the  land  passes  into  new  hands.  The  ruling  class  is 
rotten,  and  the  sooner  it  is  gone  the  better.  In  two  years 
not  five  out  of  a  hundred  planters  of  this  state  will  be  in 
possession  of  their  lands. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  353 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  November  24,  1865 
I  only  completed  the  copies  of  my  report  Tuesday 
and  delivered  the  document  Wednesday  morning.64  At 
the  same  time  I  caused  to  be  made  a  request  for  permis- 
sion to  print  my  report.  Today  I  learned  from  the 
President's  secretary  that  the  President  had  not  yet  had 
time  to  read  the  report  and  come  to  a  decision  regarding 
it.    He  wants  to  see  it  tonight. 

I  also  made  out  my  expense  account,  which  has  to  be 
presented  to  the  War  Department  and,  indeed,  to  a 
special  functionary  to  be  audited.  This  gentleman,  at 
last,  after  I  had  recast  the  account  twice,  completed  the 
audit  but  has  to  wait  for  an  opportunity  to  lay  the 
account  before  the  Secretary  of  War  for  " approval/ ' 
That  has  not  yet  been  done,  and  since  there  is  a  cabinet 
meeting  today  it  will  probably  not  be  done  today.  The 
result  is,  I  cannot  get  away  today  and  probably  not  to- 
morrow. Here  is  another  of  those  incidents  "which 
justify  suicide."  Naturally,  however,  I  cannot  leave 
until  the  entire  business  which  called  me  hither  shall 
have  been  finished. 

Yesterday  I  received  a  letter  from  the  New  York 
Tribune  proposing  that  I  take  over  the  Tribune  office 
here  in  Washington.  The  great  papers  of  course  main- 
tain offices  here  in  which  news  is  assembled,  correspond- 
ence prepared,  and  the  interests  of  the  papers  in  gen- 
eral represented.  The  position  has  a  certain  importance, 
but  the  letter  says  nothing  about  the  duties  to  be  ful- 
filled nor  about  the  question  of  compensation.  I  shall 
write  about  these  matters  today.  .  .  . 

wThe  comprehensive  Report  on  the  Condition  of  the  South.  See 
Speeches,  etc.,  i,  279-374. 


354  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

The  political  temper  among  the  Congressmen  who 
have  arrived  is  remarkable.  The  President,  as  it  seems, 
has  become  timid  but  fails  to  bear  his  defeat  with  good 
humor.  Today  I  had  a  long  conference  with  Howard, 
who  agrees  with  me  in  all  the  impressions  he  brought 
away  from  the  South.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  December  5,  1865 
I  arrived  here  in  good  condition  yesterday  morning 
about  six  o'clock  and  plunged  at  once  into  the  whirl- 
pool of  affairs .  There  is  a  great  deal  to  be  done  at  the 
outset.  It  is  necessary  to  familiarize  myself  with  the 
details  of  my  duties,  which  is  no  small  task.  Yesterday 
I  had  to  be  at  the  office  until  eleven  at  night  and  today 
the  same.  .  .  . 

Sumner  tells  me  the  President  is  not  at  all  favorable 
to  me  on  account  of  my  report.  He  wanted  to  use  me 
as  the  official  support  of  his  policy  and  he  is  now  angry 
that  the  results  of  my  journey  are  a  hindrance  to  him. 
Yesterday  I  learned  he  had  given  Howard  my  report 
to  read  and  that  he  [Howard]  was  enchanted  with  it.  I 
shall  try  to  see  Howard  tomorrow.  The  action  of  Con- 
gress so  far  is  sharp  and  decisive  and  the  spirit  of  our 
party  fine.  The  message  of  the  President  is  openly 
calculated  to  avoid  a  struggle  with  Congress — and  Con- 
gress will  do  as  it  pleases.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  December  17,  1865 
.  .  .  Since  you  wish  it  so  much  we  shall  spend  Christ- 
mas in  Bethlehem.    It  is  annoying  indeed  that  I  have  no 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  355 

house  as  yet.  I  certainly  hope  to  have  one  before  the 
session  of  Congress  reopens  after  the  holidays.  When 
we  once  can  be  together  here  in  the  home,  many  things 
can  be  arranged  better.  It  looks  as  if  the  President 
were  beginning  to  grow  tame.  The  determined  attitude 
of  the  majority  in  Congress  must  have  convinced  him 
that  he  is  not  "head  of  the  house."  I  am  told  that  he 
says  he  is  going  to  let  Congress  do  as  it  pleases. 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  December  21,  1865 
I  have  a  couple  of  lecture  engagements  during  the 
vacation  of  Congress,  which  however  are  not  yet  defi- 
nitely fixed — with  the  exception  of  one  in  Boston.  I 
have  had  to  work  very  hard  today,  for  I  had  to  examine 
and  correct  the  assembled  copies  of  my  report  and  the 
documents.  Probably  you  will  already  have  seen  my 
report  in  the  Tribune  before  this  letter  reaches  you. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Bethlehem,  December  27,  1865 
Only  a  few  words  today.  I  have  received  your 
letter.  I  shall  be  in  Boston  January  2  for  the  purpose 
of  speaking  the  same  evening  before  the  "fraternity." 
I  do  not  yet  know  when  I  shall  arrive  in  Boston;  pos- 
sibly in  the  afternoon  or  evening — and  a  hard  fate  de- 
crees that  I  must  leave  there  again  on  the  third.  You 
see  how  closely  my  time  is  limited.  Under  the  circum- 
stances we  must  make  the  best  possible  use  of  our  time. 
I  shall  go  to  the  Tremont  House.  Could  you  find  it 
possible  to  look  me  up  there? 


356  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

I  and  mine  wish  you  and  yours  all  good  things  for  the 
new  year. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Boston,  January  2,  1866 
I  looked  for  you  here  but  did  not  find  you.  I  am 
staying  at  the  Tremont  House.  I  shall  be  there  until 
two  o'clock  and  then  be  engaged  until  after  the  lecture, 
about  nine  o'clock.  I  shall  then  be  yours  until  tomorrow 
afternoon.  If  you  can  do  so,  please  let  me  see  you  at  the 
Tremont  House  before  two  o'clock.  We  can  then  make 
our  plans. 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  January  12,  1866 
The  success  of  my  report  appears  greater  from  day 
to  day.     Every  mail  brings  letters  of  congratulation. 
Grant  feels  very  bad  about  his  thoughtless  move  and  has 
openly  expressed  his  regrets  for  what  he  has  done. 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  January  17,  1866 
For  three  days  I  have  devoted  every  minute  which 
could  be  spared  from  my  work  to  the  hunt  for  rooms. 
I  am  no  longer  house  hunting;  that  I  gave  up  last 
week.  In  a  word,  there  are  no  houses,  and  since  I  ap- 
preciate the  necessity  of  living  close  to  the  office  I  have 
restricted  my  search  for  rooms  to  districts  within  half 
a  mile  from  here.  .  .  . 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  357 

I  am  truly  a  hunted  puppy.  While  I  sit  here  and 
write,  a  tiresome  fellow  plants  himself  on  a  chair  oppo- 
site and  tells  me  all  kinds  of  silly  stuff.  If  I  had  you 
here  I  would  be  willing  to  submit  to  all  these  annoy- 
ances. ...  In  other  respects  I  am  quite  well;  only,  I 
must  say,  on  account  of  these  plaguey  things  I  am  in  a 
detestably  bad  humor.  Today  my  report  was  issued  in 
pamphlet  form  as  a  congressional  document.  If  I  only 
had  you  here!  And  this  must  be  brought  about,  if  I 
have  to  wear  my  legs  down  to  two  stumps  [room  hunt- 
ing]. .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  January  19,  1866 
Yesterday  we  gave  the  right  of  suffrage  to  the  ne- 
groes in  the  District  of  Columbia.  How  does  that  suit 
you?  The  men  in  Congress  begin  now  to  cite  my  report. 
The  seed  is  coming  up  and  we  shall  complete  a  great 
section  of  world  history  this  winter.  Today  Colonel 
Johnson,  son  and  private  secretary  of  the  President, 
stopped  me  on  the  street  to  ask  when  he  could  have  a 
long  talk  with  me.  I  told  him  next  week.  There  seems 
to  be  something  wanted  up  yonder. 


To  His  Wife 

Washington,  January  23,  1866 

Though  it  is  nearly  midnight,  I  must  write  to  you 

yet  today.     A  proposition  was  made  to  me  yesterday 

which  may  prove  important  to  us.    A  large  capital  has 

been  assembled  in  Detroit,  a  joint-stock  company  organ- 


358  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

ized,  and  all  arrangements  made  for  establishing  a  new 
newspaper.  Everything  is  completed  up  to  the  selec- 
tion of  the  head.  A  deputation  from  the  board  of  direc- 
tors came  here  yesterday  to  propose  to  me  the  accept- 
ance of  the  editorship.  I  told  them  I  was  negotiating 
with  parties  in  St.  Louis  and  that  I  could  not  accept 
another  proposition  until  the  St.  Louis  undertaking 
should  be  proved  impracticable.  It  was  then  stated 
under  what  conditions  I  might  accept  the  Detroit  offer 
should  I  withdraw  from  the  St.  Louis  aggregation.  .  .  . 

Detroit  is  a  fine  city  of  some  seventy-five  thousand 
inhabitants  and  one  of  the  cheapest  places  to  live  in 
which  the  country  affords.  The  undertaking,  as  stated, 
is  ready;  press,  types,  a  business  site — all  have  been 
bought  and  paid  for  and  sufficient  cash  capital  is  on  hand 
to  carry  on  the  business.  The  undertaking  stands  on 
the  solidest  basis,  and  from  the  way  it  is  organized  I 
do  not  doubt  it  will  be  successful.  That  is  the  bright 
side.  The  unfavorable  side  is  that,  although  in  compari- 
son with  St.  Louis  my  compensation  and  circle  of  ac- 
tivity would  truly  be  surer,  it  would  be  a  distinctly 
more  limited  one.  Social  relations  in  Detroit  would  be 
just  as  pleasant,  if  not  pleasanter,  than  in  St.  Louis. 

I  have  written  to  Governor  Fletcher  at  St.  Louis 
requesting  a  telegraphic  answer  concerning  the  status 
of  things  there.  If  I  can  reckon  with  certainty  upon 
that  undertaking,  I  shall  prefer  St.  Louis.  If  that  is 
not  the  case,  I  believe  the  Detroit  offer  to  be  an  accept- 
able one.  If  I  take  Detroit  we  shall  have  to  be  there  by 
March  1.  In  about  a  week  the  matter  ought  to  be 
settled. 

My  report  has  had  great  success  among  the  Con- 
gressmen.   Sumner  moved  in  the  Senate  for  the  publi- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  359 

cation  of  a  hundred  thousand  copies.  The  House  also 
has  demanded  it.  The  President  expressed  himself  as 
follows  to  a  Senator:  "The  only  great  mistake  I  have 
made  yet  was  to  send  Schurz  to  the  South."  I  believe 
it! 

I  must  confess  that  my  longing  for  a  settled  house- 
hold has  almost  determined  me  to  accept  the  Detroit 
offer  at  once.  To  be  sure,  a  conference  with  the  board 
of  directors  would  still  be  necessary.  Think  the  matter 
over,  talk  it  over,  and  write  me  your  views  about  it.  .  .  . 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Washington,  January  25,  1866 
I  received  your  letter  last  night  and  am  hurrying 
the  application  along.  I  gave  my  residence  as  Water- 
town,  Wisconsin,  because  what  is  here  called  my  "legal 
residence"  is  there.  I  shall,  however,  before  the  expira- 
tion of  six  months  establish  myself  permanently  either 
in  St.  Louis  or  in  Detroit,  where  extremely  enticing 
propositions  have  been  made  to  me.  I  hope  the  appli- 
cation is  properly  drawn  up.  I  leave  the  arrangement 
of  the  payments  to  you.  Send  me  the  notes  with  the 
amounts  inscribed,  so  that  I  shall  need  only  to  sign  them. 
Semi-annual  payments  would  be  the  most  agreeable  to 
me.  For  the  sum  now  due  draw  on  me  a  draft  payable 
by  Jay  Cooke  and  Company,  Bankers,  Washington, 
D.  C,  where  I  have  my  account.  As  I  understand  you 
the  first  cash  payment  will  amount  to  $96.68,  and  since 
the  payments  are  to  pass  through  your  hands  I  shall 
rely  on  you  to  notify  me  regularly  in  time;  otherwise 
they  will  be  forgotten.  You  silly,  give  yourself  no 
scruples  for  having  called  the  matter  to  my  attention 


360  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

again.  I  would  have  done  it  anyhow,  and  to  insure  my- 
self with  you  is  a  quite  particular  pleasure. 

I  believe  Philadelphia  would  be  a  very  good  place 
for  you.  You  would  also  find  in  my  old  friend  Dr. 
Tiedemann  (with  whom  you  must  refrain  from  quar- 
reling over  spiritualism)  an  excellent  examining  physi- 
cian. You  could  transfer  again  when  the  Pennsylvania 
field  has  been  exploited,  and  finally  we  should  come  to 
live  in  the  same  place. 

Here,  naturally,  I  am  over  ears  in  politics  and  am 
hardly  able  to  spare  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  You  must, 
therefore,  excuse  the  brevity  of  this  letter.  I  shall 
doubtless  not  come  to  Boston  this  winter,  but  have  re- 
ceived an  invitation  from  Worcester  which  I  may  pos- 
sibly accept. 


To  His  Wife 

Washington,  January  26,  1866 
The  news  from  St.  Louis  must  come  soon  and  then 
I  shall  have  to  decide  one  way  or  the  other.  At  the  be- 
ginning of  February  I  have  three  lectures:  one  in 
Poughkeepsie,  one  in  Jersey  City,  and  one  in  Brooklyn. 
I  am  to  speak  about  conditions  in  the  South  and  have 
as  yet  written  hardly  anything.  Life  is  so  giddy  here 
and  there  is  constantly  so  much  to  do  that  one  accom- 
plishes nothing.  ...  If  the  Detroit  business  comes  to 
nothing;  that  is,  if  the  St.  Louis  offer  comes  in  such 
a  form  as  to  be  preferable  and  I  decide  to  remain  here 
a  while  longer,  I  will  certainly  find  a  dwelling  place. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  361 

To  His  Wife 

Detroit,  March  3,  1866 
I  have  just  arrived  here.  ...  It  is  evening  and  I 
am  very  tired.  I  have,  however,  already  seen  the  presi- 
dent of  the  newspaper  company.  Of  course,  nothing 
can  be  done  tonight,  or  tomorrow,  because  it  is  Sunday. 
As  far  as  I  have  now  learned,  everything  is  pretty  well 
in  order.  Monday  I  shall  go  over  the  contract  with  a 
lawyer  and  then  go  more  fully  into  details.  I  expect 
to  finish  my  business  here  quickly  if  everything  goes 
right,  and  come  at  once  to  bring  you  and  the  children. 
Tomorrow  I  shall  give  myself  to  quiet  meditation  and, 
if  the  weather  is  good,  shall  look  over  the  town  a  bit  in 
order  to  select  a  little  place  where  we  can  set  our  four 
stakes.  This  much  I  have  already  learned,  that  houses 
are  pretty  scarce  because  the  city  is  extraordinarily  full 
of  people ;  this  may  be  looked  upon  as  a  sign  of  healthy 
growth.  .  .  .  Now  we  shall  make  ourselves  comfortable. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Editorial  Rooms  of  the  Daily  Post 
Detroit,  Michigan 
April  23,  1866 
I  received  both  of  your  letters  today.     I  had  none 
from  you  since  coming  here ;  that  is,  since  the  week  be- 
fore the  last  week  of  March.    Possibly  some  are  still  ly- 
ing in  Washington. 

It  is  great  that  you  want  to  come  here.  You  will 
probably  find  this  a  good  field.  The  German  popula- 
tion of  the  city  amounts  to  nearly  20,000  and  it  is  very 
numerous  in  the  vicinity.     The  climate  is  changeable 


862  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

but  it  has  the  reputation  of  being  healthful.  Rents  are 
high;  that  is,  the  rental  of  an  entire  house.  Board  is 
cheaper  than  in  the  East — I  believe  decidedly  cheaper. 
I  know  a  small  family  which  secures  very  good  board 
for  sixteen  dollars  a  week.  Clothing  is  dearer  here  than 
in  the  East,  but  foodstuffs  are  cheaper.  The  total  popu- 
lation of  Detroit  amounts  to  about  70,000;  of  the  state 
of  Michigan  nearly  1,000,000,  including  fully  200,000 
Germans.  The  state  has  great  resources  and  the  popu- 
lation is  "doing  well."  Detroit  is  a  decidedly  flourish- 
ing city. 

Let  there  be  no  doubt  about  your  coming.  I  am 
writing  in  all  haste  to  help  you  make  up  your  mind 
promptly.  My  wife  and  children  greet  you  and  yours 
heartily.    Let  me  soon  hear  from  you  again. 


To  His  Father  [and  Mother  ] 

Detroit,  May  11,  1866 
My  heartiest  good  wishes  upon  your  birthday.  It 
is  unnecessary  for  me  to  recount  all  that  I  wish  you. 
The  recent  years  have  been  hard;  full  of  uncertainty, 
worry,  and  excitement.  Now  that  peace  has  returned 
and  everything  swings  back  into  the  ways  of  customary 
life,  a  quieter  time  will  return  for  us  also,  and  in  a  few 
months  I  hope  to  see  fulfilled  a  great  wish  which  I  have 
carried  about  with  me  for  years  and  which  you  have  un- 
doubtedly shared :  the  wish  to  live  once  more  under  the 
same  roof  with  you.  At  last  the  outlook  is  becoming 
more  favorable.  I  have  found  a  field  in  which  I  can 
establish  for  myself  a  secure  living,  and  next  fall  will 
doubtless  find  us  all  united.    Then  you  shall  spend  the 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  363 

evening  of  your  lives  in  the  midst  of  the  family  which 
loves  you.  Keep  well  and  active,  that  our  life  together 
may  be  untroubled.  I  would  gladly  come  over  to  see 
you  one  of  these  days,  but  the  duties  of  my  present  posi- 
tion hold  me  so  fast  in  my  newspaper  office  that  I  dare 
not  take  a  day  off.  I  have  a  great  deal  of  work,  and 
having  decided  to  spare  no  pains  to  make  our  present 
undertaking  successful  I  naturally  cannot  take  it 
lightly.  So  far  the  auspices  are  good.  Of  course  one 
must  not  expect  too  much  the  first  year.  .  .  . 

The  loss  I  suffered  through  the  burning  of  the  depot 
affected  us  all  seriously.  I  would  have  borne  everything 
else  gladly  had  not  my  letters  been  among  the  articles 
destroyed.  Well,  we  must  regard  the  loss  as  a  pledge 
demanded  by  fate  for  future  good  fortune.  .  .  . 

We  are  now  firmly  resolved  that  Margarethe  shall 
visit  you  in  Watertown  with  the  children  as  soon  as 
possible.  If  I  can  anywise  get  away,  I  shall  bring  them 
over  and  arrange  matters  so  I  can  remain  over  Sunday. 
I  shall  in  any  case  telegraph  you  at  the  proper  time  so 
that  you  may  know  exactly  when  to  expect  us.  Nothing 
would  give  me  more  pleasure  than  to  find  you  all  quite 
well  and  cheerful.  .  .  .  Once  more,  my  heartiest  good 
wishes.  I  hope  my  dearest  Mama  has  been  restored  to 
full  strength  in  the  fine  country  air.  May  you  all  be  en- 
joying good  health. 

To  His  Wife 

Detroit,  July  21,  1866 
.  .  .  How  do  the  reports  from  Europe  suit  you? 
The  operations  of  the  Prussians  are  beyond  all  measure 
brilliant.     Prussia  is  in  the  way  to  swallow  up  the 


364  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

greater  part  of  France,  and  it  would  not  surprise  me  if 
within  no  long  time  a  war  should  break  out  between 
this  new  great  power  and  France.  .  .  . 

There  is  nothing  new  here  except  that  I  must  work 
like  a  horse ;  and  that  is  old. 

To  His  Wife 

Detroit,  July  24,  1866 
I  hope  to  get  away  from  here  Friday  night  at  all 
events.  .  .  .  But  it  is  doubtful  if  I  can  remain  longer 
than  over  Sunday.  None  of  my  associates  are  able  to 
handle  the  European  questions  which  are  now  of  such 
extraordinary  interest,  particularly  in  these  days  when 
the  relations  between  France  and  Prussia  are  tending  to 
a  crisis.  I  should  be  very  glad  to  be  able  to  spend  a 
week  or  two  on  the  farm  but  do  not  see  how  it  is  pos- 
sible. .  .  . 

The  development  of  affairs  in  Europe  is  surprising. 
I  hope  it  will  result  in  a  decided  limitation  of  the  Napo- 
leonic influence,  whether  with  or  without  a  war.  And, 
since  the  attainment  of  these  results  depends  wholly 
upon  the  energy  and  the  success  of  Prussia,  my  sym- 
pathies are  naturally  on  the  Prussian  side.  At  present 
it  is  all  off  with  the  revolution ;  and  the  attempts  at  revo- 
lutionary organization  which  are  still  under  way  here 
and  there  are  supremely  absurd.  Bismarck  can  now  be 
more  useful  to  Germany  than  any  other  man  if  he  can 
only  be  forced  into  the  right  track.  .  .  . 

My  eyes  are  drooping  and  I  will  say  good-night.  It 
is  after  twelve  and  D.  has  just  now  interrupted  me  by 
bringing  in  a  dispatch  containing  the  last  silly  message 
of  the  President. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  365 

To  His  Wife 

Detroit,  August  2,  1866 
.  .  .  Naturally  I  found  my  hands  full  here.  Have 
you  read  of  the  disturbances  in  New  Orleans?  Several 
of  my  friends  and  acquaintances  were  killed  or  severely 
wounded  in  them.  Isn't  it  frightful  to  think  that  the 
President  himself  should  have  encouraged  such  mis- 
deeds? And  yet  there  are  men  who  force  their  way  in 
to  kiss  his  hand!  The  federal  officers  are  attempting 
here  also  to  organize  a  Johnson  party.  It  is  somewhat 
lonesome  here,  but  since  I  have  a  couple  of  campaign 
speeches  to  work  out,  which  absorb  my  free  time,  it  goes 
well  enough. 


To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Detroit,  August  4,  1866 
Your  last  letter  arrived  here  during  my  absence, 
which  will  explain  and  justify  the  delay  in  answering. 
I  have  enjoyed  several  days  of  country  life  with  my 
people  upon  my  old  farm  in  Watertown,  Wisconsin.  I 
am  now  once  more  in  harness,  and  indeed  very  much  so. 
What  do  you  say  to  the  occurrences  in  Germany? 
Peace  came  a  little  too  quickly  to  suit  me.  I  had  hoped 
for  an  embroilment  between  Prussia  and  France,  out  of 
which  Germany  would  certainly  have  emerged  as  a 
unity.  I  now  fear  that  victorious  Prussia  will  be  too 
Prussian  and  too  little  German. 

How  are  your  family  getting  along?     Mine   are 
all  well. 


366  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

To  His  Wife 

Detroit,  August  6,  1866 
.  .  .  We  are  having  here  the  convention  of  the 
Western  Associated  Press,  whose  meetings  are  being 
held  in  our  building.  So  my  office  is  constantly  full  of 
newspaper  men,  who  will  hardly  permit  me  to  get  at  the 
most  necessary  work.  The  principal  subject  of  dis- 
cussion is  concerning  arrangements  with  the  Atlantic 
Cable.  The  reports  (which,  incidentally,  have  thus  far 
been  extraordinarily  meager)  are  transmitted  to  us  by 
the  Associated  Press  and  naturally  make  us  extra  ex- 
pense. The  Press  convention  will  probably  remain  in 
session  tomorrow  and  the  day  following.  So  long  I 
shall  be  besieged.  I  have  already  discovered  the  sweet- 
ness of  it  today. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Detroit,  August  15,  1866 
My  banker  here  tells  me  he  has  notice  from  a  Boston 
banker  that  my  check  for  $99.56  has  been  sent  from 
there;  and  since  no  return  followed,  it  is  supposed  that 
it  was  lost.  I  am  accordingly  sending  you  a  duplicate 
which  must  go  through  the  same  business  channel  in  or- 
der to  be  honored  here.  Should  the  lost  check  come  to 
light  meantime,  the  duplicate  will  simply  be  cancelled. 
When  are  you  coming? 

To  His  Wife 

Detroit,  August  31,  1866 
My  speech  is  not  yet  quite  finished.     I  shall  be 
obliged  to  prepare  the  peroration  in  Philadelphia.    The 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  367 

material  has  become  too  bulky.    We  are  leaving  tonight, 
quite  a  numerous  company. 

To  His  Wife 

[Philadelphia]  September  5,  1866 
I  arrived  Sunday  morning  and  only  now  find  a  little 
quiet  for  writing.  Of  all  political  demonstrations  in 
which  I  have  ever  participated,  this  is  the  most  magnifi- 
cent. When  the  delegations  assembled  Monday  morn- 
ing in  Independence  Square  to  go  to  the  Union  League 
House,  the  streets  through  which  the  procession  moved 
were  filled  with  a  crowd  such  as  I  have  seldom  seen. 
There  was  no  end  of  cheering  when  a  well-known  per- 
sonality showed  himself,  and  your  husband  too  was 
greeted  now  and  then  with  many  shouts.  The  main 
streets  were  decorated  with  banners  and  the  windows 
crowded  full  of  heads.  The  delegations  were  received 
ceremonially  at  the  Union  League  House,  and  since 
then  the  Southern  Convention  has  been  in  session.  We 
Northerners  have  actually  done  nothing  so  far  except  to 
confer  with  the  Southerners. 

The  people  in  Philadelphia  appear  to  have  organ- 
ized themselves  in  permanent  mass  meetings.  From 
early  morning  till  late  at  night — at  least  till  after  sunset 
— some  thousands  of  men  are  assembled  before  the 
Union  League  House  to  listen  to  speeches.  Aside  from 
this  there  are  meetings  with  speeches  every  evening 
in  the  National  Hall.  But  orderly  speaking  is  hardly 
possible.  The  people  simply  want  to  shout,  and  if  this 
thing  continues  several  days  longer  all  Philadelphia  will 
be  hoarse.  I  have  not  spoken  yet  at  all,  although  I  am 
called  for  several  dozen  times  every  day.    In  the  open 


868  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

air  I  cannot  and  will  not  speak,  and  in  National  Hall  it 
is  so  hot  that  no  speaker  can  hold  out  longer  than  twenty 
minutes.  They  want  to  arrange  for  an  assembly  solely 
for  me  next  Saturday,  but  I  am  not  sure  I  ought  to 
agree  to  it.  Unless  the  weather  changes  it  will  hardly 
be  possible.  The  Southern  Convention  is  dragging  out 
considerably  and  they  will  hardly  get  through  before 
the  end  of  the  week.  If  I  do  not  accept  the  Saturday 
meeting  I  shall  speak  in  New  York  before  my  return. 

The  campaign  is  in  good  shape.  I  consider  our  vic- 
tory practically  certain.  Public  sentiment  is  quite  as 
it  was  in  1860.  .  .  .  Adieu.  I  must  go  to  another  con- 
ference with  our  Southern  friends.  This  evening  there 
is  to  be  a  great  torchlight  procession,  and  a  mass  meeting 
of  a  hundred  thousand  people  is  expected. 

Next  week,  then. 

To  His  Wife 

Detroit,  September  11,  1866 
At  last  I  am  back.  Just  arrived  by  steamer  from 
Cleveland  and  have  only  a  few  minutes  to  write  before 
the  mail  goes  out.  I  spoke  in  Philadelphia  on  Saturday 
evening  before  a  great  assembly  in  National  Hall.  The 
matter  was  put  off  so  long  partly  because  the  Pennsyl- 
vania newspapers  were  not  able  to  publish  my  speech 
sooner,  and  partly  because  they  didn't  want  to  sandwich 
it  in  between  the  deliberations  of  the  convention.  It 
was  a  great  success.  I  have  not  spoken  with  so  much 
applause  since  my  Douglas  speech.  Next  morning, 
Sunday,  the  speech  was  in  the  Press,  and  is  now  being 
printed  as  a  campaign  document.  I  left  Philadelphia 
on  Sunday  and  reached  here  safely.  .  .  . 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  369 

The  political  campaign  is  in  Splendid  shape.  I 
consider  our  victory  certain.  The  demonstration  in 
Philadelphia  last  Wednesday  evening  was  the  most  mag- 
nificent I  have  ever  seen.  Broad  Street  was  packed  full 
from  Arch  to  Spruce  streets.  The  damage  which  the 
fire  did  to  the  Union  League  House  was  not  as  serious 
as  had  been  supposed.  The  League  will  not  have  to 
abandon  the  house  at  all.  It  [the  fire]  was  probably  in- 
cendiary. 

To  His  Wife 

Detroit,  September  12,  1866 
.  .  .  During  B.'s  absence  I  am  naturally  over- 
whelmed with  labor.  In  addition,  I  must  make  some 
preparations  for  the  campaign  speeches  which  I  still 
have  to  deliver.  I  shall  now  go  after  Johnson  hard. 
The  speeches  he  made  in  St.  Louis  are  no  longer 
"funny."  We  no  longer  know  whether  we  are  dealing 
with  a  sane  person.  Fortunately,  the  people  appreciate 
him  at  his  true  worth.  In  every  place  where  he  has 
spoken  he  has  made  votes  for  the  Republicans,  and 
where  he  has  not  been  personally  the  published  speeches 
are  accomplishing  the  same  result.  Maine  gives  the 
proof  of  it. 

I  found  here  a  stack  of  letters  containing  invitations 
to  meetings.  Of  course  I  shall  accept  only  a  very  few. 
There  are  several  which  I  cannot  decline;  for  instance, 
from  Colfax  and  from  Ashley,  who  represents  the 
Toledo  district  of  Ohio.  Come  and  let  us  be  together 
again  soon.  Come  on  Monday.  You  ought  to  have 
locked  up  your  beautiful  Hamburg  chest  by  this  time. 
My  Philadelphia  speech  is  beginning  to  take  in  wider 


370  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

circles.  The  newspapers  are  already  talking  about  it 
and  the  State  Committee  has  ordered  twenty-five 
thousand  copies  in  pamphlet  form.  The  Union  League 
in  Philadelphia  has  likewise  printed  it. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Detroit,  December  16,  1866 
At  last  I  have  the  long-wished-for  letter,  so  every- 
thing is  all  right  and  I  need  not  defer  my  good  wishes 
longer. 

You  are  a  fine  comrade  to  ask  me  if  I  will  "permit' ' 
the  youngster  to  be  named  after  me !  That  is  fine !  If 
between  you  and  me  such  a  thing  is  not  a  matter  of 
course,  what  ought  you  to  think  of  me  and  I  of  you? 
Shame  on  you,  old  Peter ;  and  do  not  do  the  like  of  that 
again.  You  must  have  felt  yourself  that  it  would  have 
pleased  me  particularly  to  see  that  you  had  settled 
everything  yourself  without  thinking  of  any  of  those 
formalities  one  observes  in  relation  to  the  "rich  uncle," 
but  not  in  relation  to  an  old  and  true  friend.  And  do 
not  forget  to  tell  this  to  your  wife.  Her  scrupulousness 
in  this  regard  is  really  the  first  difference  of  opinion 
which  has  arisen  between  her  and  me.  But  everything 
is  all  right  now  and  we  shall  all  rejoice  in  the  little 
stranger — and  may  I  make  myself  worthy  of  the  god- 
father ship.  My  wife  just  as  heartily  wishes  you  and 
your  wife  happiness,  and  begs  you  to  accept  from  her 
a  little  piece  of  embroidery  that  will  arrive  by  express 
soon.  She  is  just  now  busied  with  arrangements  about 
Christmas,  which  in  our  family  is  the  greatest  event  of 
the  entire  year.  Our  rooms  have  for  several  days  looked 
like  a  factory,  and  since  my  wife  has  to  lead  and  con- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  371 

stantly  cooperate  in  the  whole  business,  you  will  excuse 
her  for  not  writing  at  this  time. 

I,  poor  chap,  naturally  have  to  work  like  a  cart- 
horse. Besides  my  newspaper,  which  keeps  me  busy 
from  early  morning  until  late  at  night,  I  also  have  to 
write  a  lecture  on  Germany  which  I  am  to  deliver  this 
winter  in  some  thirty  places.  Besides,  Ticknor  and 
Fields  in  Boston  have  done  me  the  honor  to  request  an 
article  for  the  Atlantic  Monthly,  which  must  be  ready 
by  January  20  in  order  to  appear  in  the  March  num- 
ber.65 So  I  have  to  regret  that  the  day  has  not  more 
hours,  and  that  the  brain  will  not  remain  always  fresh 
and  clear. 

Now,  dear  Peter,  let  us  hear  soon  that  everything  is 
again  normal  with  you,  and  accept  heartiest  friendship 
greeting  from  my  wife  and  me  for  all  of  you,  particu- 
larly however  for  the  little  one  whose  name  I  am  too 
modest  to  utter  in  full. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Detroit,  January  12,  1867 
I  have  just  now  arrived  from  a  lecturing  trip  and 
find  your  letter  here.  I  am  very  sorry  not  to  have  re- 
ceived it  immediately.  I  send  you  at  once  a  check  for 
the  cash  amount  indicated  on  the  card — and  the  notes. 
I  am  immensely  sorry  not  to  have  learned  of  this  earlier. 
I  am  pained  still  more  to  learn  that  things  are  not 
going  better  with  you ;  yet  I  am  certain  that  the  spirit  of 
old  Peter  will  keep  itself  fresh. 

65  "The  True  Problem,"  Atlantic  Monthly,  xix,  371-378  (March,  1867) 
The  theme  was  reconstruction,  and  Schurz's  proposal  was  a  fifteenth 
amendment  which  should  enforce  upon  the  rebel  states  the  necessity  of  ad- 
mitting negroes  to  the  right  of  suffrage  and  the  necessity  of  providing  a 
system  of  common  school  education  for  all. 


372  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

Since  I  do  not  want  to  let  the  next  mail  pass  I  must 
be  concise.  I  am  just  preparing  for  another  journey. 
You  will  hear  from  me  again  as  soon  as  I  return.  We 
are  all  well.  Only,  I  am  so  overloaded  with  work  that 
I  hardly  know  how  to  get  through. 

Greet  yours  most  heartily  for  us  all. 

To  His  Wife 

Rock  Island,  January  31,  1867 
I  arrived  in  Chicago  Tuesday  morning  between  two 
and  three  in  this  infernal  cold,  and  about  one  o'clock 
left  for  Peoria.  In  Chicago  I  saw  the  clerk  of  the  lec- 
ture agency,  who  told  me  that  one  of  my  lectures  had 
gone  by  the  board  because  of  the  short  notice;  this  was 
the  more  disagreeable  since  I  was  early  for  it.  I 
wrote  at  once  to  Rublee  in  Madison,  Wisconsin,  saying 
I  would  have  time  to  speak  there  Monday  evening,  and 
yesterday  I  received  from  there  a  telegraphic  invitation. 
.  .  .  But  learning  meantime  that  I  would  have  to  drive 
nearly  thirty  miles  by  sleigh,  a  thing  I  did  not  care  to  do 
in  this  severe  cold,  and  receiving  also  an  invitation  from 
the  Turner  Society  in  Davenport  to  speak  to  them 
Tuesday  evening,  I  accepted  the  latter.  This  saves  me 
a  disagreeable  journey.  And  so  my  program  is  full. 
On  the  train  I  also  wrote  a  couple  of  newspaper  articles. 
This  evening  I  shall  be  obliged  to  speak  in  German 
and  as  yet  I  know  not  one  word  of  what  I  shall  say, 
though  it  will  be  necessary  to  begin  in  an  hour.  How 
am  I  going  to  get  on  ?  I  must  depend  upon  the  inspira- 
tion of  the  moment  and  the  adroitness  with  which  I  can 
translate  my  English  manuscript  into  German.  I  am 
hoping  to  get  through.     That  I  am  well  and  cheerful 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  373 

goes  without  saying,  but  this  journey  is  not  a  pleasure 
trip.  The  sole  delightful  moments  are  those  in  which 
I  put  the  money  earned  into  my  pocket  and  think: 
"Something  more  for  wife  and  child."  The  Mississippi, 
seen  through  my  window,  is  frozen  over  solidly,  and 
vehicles  of  all  sorts  are  upon  it.  I  shall  soon  take  the 
sleigh  ride  to  the  opposite  bank — my  second  ice  tour  on 
the  Mississippi,  which  however,  thanks  to  the  steady 
cold,  will  surely  be  drier  and  pleasanter  this  time  than 
it  was  seven  years  ago.  Adieu  for  today.  I  must  think 
of  the  German  lecture. 

To  His  Wife 

Princeton,  Illinois,  March  4,  1867 
I  left  St.  Louis  yesterday  afternoon  after  having 
lectured  there  and  in  Jefferson  City  with  notable  suc- 
cess. 

I  was  somewhat  disappointed  not  to  find  a  letter 
from  you  in  St.  Louis.  .  .  .  As  a  punishment  I  shall 
withhold  all  the  news  I  could  tell  you  at  this  time  until 
my  arrival  in  Detroit — and  among  this  is  some  very 
important  news.  It  relates  to  nothing  less  than  the 
purchase  for  me  of  a  half -interest  in  a  St.  Louis  news- 
paper business  and  the  advance  of  the  purchase  price 
in,  such  manner  that  I  can  repay  it  out  of  the  business 
itself  in  three  years.06  So,  now  I  have  spoken  in  dark 
mysteriousness  and  you  shall  receive  not  another  word 
until  I  am  with  you  again.  Still,  I  will  say  this  much 
more,  that  the  outlook  for  the  success  of  the  plan  is  good 
if  we,  upon  mature  family  discussion,  decide  to  take  it 
up. 

w  His  partner  was  Dr.  Emil  Preetorius.    Schurz  actually  paid  his  share 
in  two  years.     See  letter  of  August  10,  1869,  to  Adolf  Meyer. 


374  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

In  St.  Louis  as  well  as  in  Jefferson  City  they  were 
very  friendly  to  me,  and  expressed  the  wish  that  I  move 
to  Missouri;  and  I  believe  they  will  do  a  great  deal  for 
me.    However,  more  about  this  later.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  April  17,  1867 
We  arrived  here  safely  yesterday  and  I  went  im- 
mediately into  my  business  affairs,  which  detained  me 
until  late  in  the  evening.  I  write  you  this  morning 
while  I  am  waiting  for  Preetorius,  who  is  likely  to  come 
in  at  any  moment.  We  established  the  main  points  of 
our  contract  yesterday  and  it  is  to  be  drawn  up  today. 
The  conditions  are  in  every  respect  acceptable  and  it 
was  not  difficult  to  come  to  an  agreement.  Today,  as 
soon  as  the  contract  shall  be  drawn  up,  I  shall  go  over 
it  in  detail  with  an  able  lawyer,  and  possibly  we  shall 
next  day  be  able  to  conclude  the  business  definitely. 
We  have  also  talked  over  the  future  organization  of  the 
business  and  the  division  of  work,  and  I  find  I  shall  have 
a  surplus  of  free  time  as  soon  as  the  proposed  reforms 
have  been  regularly  initiated  and  properly  set  going. 
The  men  meet  my  views  in  all  points.  I  have  not  yet 
presented  our  European  plan,  but  in  the  discussions  I 
have  suggested  the  necessity  of  a  large  amount  of  war 
correspondence,  and  it  seems  to  me  from  what  was  said 
that  the  proposition  of  my  going  across  will  be  well  re- 
ceived. .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

New  York,  June  16,  1867 
Since  I  shall  not  be  in  St.  Louis  in  time  to  write 
from  there  by  the  next  Hamburg  post,  and  since  I 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  375 

know  how  you  will  long  for  a  word  from  me  after  your 
arrival  in  the  old  home,  I  sit  down  this  morning  to  talk 
with  you.  I  can  think  of  nothing  else.  Yesterday  noon 
we67  remained  standing  on  the  dock  until  the  ship  which 
bore  you  away  from  us  faded  from  our  sight.  Then 
we  went  back  into  the  city  and  took  a  somewhat  taciturn 
gloomy  luncheon  in  a  restaurant.  Today  it  is  very  lone- 
some here.  .  .  .  Toward  noon  I  shall  go  to  Kapp's  to 
see  his  literary  acquisitions  and  get  a  couple  of  books 
for  the  journey,  and  then  eat  my  noon  meal  at  Wesen- 
donk's.  I  leave  at  6:30  in  the  evening  and  hope  to  be 
in  St.  Louis  Wednesday  morning  to  begin  my  custom- 
ary day's  work.  Since  your  departure  Chittenden  and 
I  have  considered  the  weather  a  dozen  times  an  hour  and 
wondered  how  it  was  with  you  at  the  particular  moment. 

.  .  .  Now  let  me  say  once  more  that  you  are  not  to 
give  yourself  any  concern  on  my  account.  I  promise 
you  faithfully  to  take  good  care  of  myself  so  as  to  avert 
any  injurious  influences.  You  know  I  have  an  excel- 
lent constitution  and  can  stand  any  climate  without  diffi- 
culty. Be  assured  that  if  the  health  conditions  in  St. 
Louis  should  become  bad  I  would  betake  myself  out  of 
the  danger.  .  .  . 

Now  you  be  good  and  go  at  the  fulfillment  of  your 
problem,  the  recovery  of  your  strength,  with  hope  and 
energy.     Once  more,  be  good  and  brave. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

St.  Louis,  June  27,  1867 
As  you  will  have  heard,  I  was  in  New  York  two 
weeks  ago  to  put  my  family  on  board  the  Hamburg 

6T  He  and  his  friend  Chittenden,  whose  wife  and  daughter  sailed  in  the 
same  ship.     [A.  S.] 


376  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

steamer.  Naturally  I  looked  for  you  at  once  but 
learned  in  the  office  of  the  company  that  you  were  in 
Boston.  I  had  forgotten  your  home  address.  Nobody 
in  the  insurance  office  knew  it,  and  no  one  of  the  ac- 
quaintances I  happened  to  meet  could  give  it  to  me. 
So  I  passed  along  Fourth  Avenue  in  the  hope  of  re- 
membering the  place,  for  I  wanted  very  much  to  see 
your  family  and  to  rejoice  in  the  little  boy.  But  I  saw 
no  house  which  resembled  the  one  I  had  formerly  visited, 
and  for  want  of  time  I  was  obliged  to  give  up  the  search. 
I  was  in  New  York  two  days,  and  you  can  imagine  how 
we  all  regretted  our  failure  to  see  you. 

Since  the  death  of  our  little  darling  my  wife  has  been 
ailing  a  great  deal  and  has  been  restless,  as  can  be  easily 
understood  after  such  a  bereavement.  At  first  we  de- 
cided to  get  ourselves  fully  established  here.  But  the 
prospect  of  a  hot  summer,  which  really  means  something 
here,  the  uncertain  health  of  my  wife,  and  the  desire  to 
give  my  eldest  daughter  the  advantage  of  a  higher  type 
of  instruction,  which  can  be  found  only  in  Europe,  de- 
cided me  to  send  my  family  back  to  the  old  home  for 
several  months,  which  may  indeed  easily  be  extended  to 
an  entire  year.  So  I  have  been  left  behind  here  all  alone. 
It  is  possible  I  too  may  go  to  Germany  for  a  month 
this  winter. 

I  think  I  indicated  to  you  some  time  ago  my  decision 
to  come  to  this  place.  I  have  purchased  a  business  inter- 
est in  the  Westliche  Post,  through  which  I  have  come 
into  a  circle  of  activity  which,  although  at  the  moment 
it  does  not  particularly  meet  my  fancy,  promises  never- 
theless to  expand  and  above  all  to  secure  me,  according 
to  my  notion,  an  abundant  living.  The  business  is  ex- 
traordinarily good  and  a  few  years  will  suffice  to  make 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  377 

me  wholly  independent  in  my  finances.  That  would 
have  given  me  more  satisfaction  at  an  earlier  time  than 
at  present,  but,  as  the  old  saying  goes,  it  is  still  a  con- 
sideration not  to  be  set  aside. 

I  hope  these  lines  will  find  you  with  your  family 
again.  I  beg  you  to  write  me  soon  and  fully.  I  wish 
I  could  have  you  here.  Possibly  in  the  course  of  the 
summer  I  shall  be  in  New  York  again.  Write  me  soon 
and  greet  yours  heartily.  With  never-changing  friend- 
ship. 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  July  2,  1867 
The  telegraphic  dispatch  announcing  the  arrival 
of  the  Allemania  at  Southampton  after  a  voyage  of  be- 
tween ten  and  eleven  days  brought  me  the  glad  certainty 
that  you  have  now  reached  the  old  home  safely,  and  I 
hope  after  a  comfortable  voyage.  I  am  also  hoping  for 
a  letter  from  you  soon  and  look  forward  to  it  with  great 
longing. 

I  can  tell  you  very  little  about  my  life  here.  There 
is  actually  nothing  new.  I  live  in  my  regular  occupation 
after  the  fashion  which  you  know.  Preetorius  has  been 
here  again  since  last  Tuesday,  and  our  bachelor  house- 
keeping is  as  peaceful  and  simple  as  you  can  imagine. 
In  about  two  weeks  he  will  spend  a  week  or  two  in 
Madison  with  his  family,  and  after  his  return  I  may 
take  a  short  vacation.  Where  I  shall  go  and  what  I 
shall  do  is  as  yet  uncertain.  Probably  I  shall  spend 
several  days  with  Tony  and  my  parents.  Meanwhile 
we  have  in  mind  to  make  little  tours  every  Sunday  to 
near-by  places  in  the  state  of  Missouri  or  to  Hecker's. 


378  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

Next  Sunday  we  are  going  to  Augusta,  an  old  settle- 
ment of  educated  Germans  some  fifty  miles  from  here 
which  dates  from  the  thirties. 

The  health  situation  of  the  city  could  not  be  better. 
There  is  no  trace  of  cholera  and  no  perceivable  symptom 
of  an  epidemic.  So  far  as  I  know  the  cholera  has  not 
shown  itself  anywhere  in  the  United  States.  .  .  . 

I  am  likewise  now  freed  from  the  only  annoyance 
which  has  pursued  me  here  for  several  days.  That  is  to 
say,  I  have  found  a  worshiper — a  man  from  Texas 
named  Wagner.  Now,  you  know  that  nothing  in  the 
world  is  more  tiresome  to  me  than  a  worshiper,  and  this 
good  W.  worshiped  me  altogether  too  much.  He  as- 
sured me  that  no  one  could  make  him  believe  I  did  not 
know  everything  much  better  than  other  men.  Accord- 
ingly he  wanted  to  learn  of  me  and  be  my  pupil  in  mat- 
ters of  living  and  of  statecraft.  I  must  permit  him  to 
take  lessons  from  me.  He  merely  desired  to  be  with  me 
as  much  as  possible.  So,  at  table  I  regularly  found  him 
by  my  chair,  and  when  I  got  up  he  also  arose  and  ac- 
companied me.  And  when  I  went  home  I  always  en- 
countered him  and  he  always  insisted  on  escorting  me 
to  my  door.  For  a  couple  of  days  I  bore  this  sort  of  ad- 
miration like  a  lamb,  but  at  last  it  became  too  exasper- 
ating and  I  decided  to  be  so  tiresome  that  even  my  stiff- 
necked  worshiper  would  not  be  able  to  hold  out  long. 
You  know,  when  I  apply  that  means  it  always  takes, 
and  the  Wagner  boy  soon  smelt  a  mouse  and  freed  me 
from  his  admiration.  He  finally  said  that  I  must  have 
much  to  think  about  since  I  was  sometimes  so  absent- 
minded  and  laconic.    Peace  to  his  memory !  .  .  . 

Let  the  children  write  to  me  often.  They  will  all 
give   me   hearty   pleasure.      And   you — you    must   be 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  379 

courageous  and  think  about  winning  back  your  former 
strength  and  more  than  your  former  health.  I  am  gain- 
ing for  you  a  good  living  and  you  must  gain  for  me 
health,  and  the  courage  to  face  life.  Let  us  make  such 
use  of  this  (may  we  hope)  last  separation,  that  we  shall 
always  remember  it  with  satisfaction. 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  July  8,  1867 
This  afternoon  Preetorius  and  I  returned  from  our 
excursion  to  Augusta.  I  wrote  you  last  week  about 
our  expectation  of  enjoying  country  air  for  a  couple  of 
days,  and  that  we  have  done  to  our  hearts'  content. 
Saturday  afternoon  about  four  o'clock  we  boarded  one 
of  the  pleasant,  slow,  safe  Missouri  steamboats  and 
ascended  the  Mississippi.  The  weather  was  glorious 
and  we  had  decided  to  leave  all  business  and  business 
cares  behind,  so  we  had  eyes  and  ears  for  everything. 
The  Mississippi  immediately  above  St.  Louis,  as  soon  as 
one  has  sufficiently  observed  the  mighty  plain  of  waters, 
is  in  no  way  interesting;  the  banks  are  elevated  but 
slightly  above  the  water  level,  wooded,  and  here  and 
there  broken  by  clearings.  Nevertheless,  the  point 
where  the  Missouri  joins  the  Mississippi  presented  an 
impressive  sight.  Evening  had  come  and  the  flaming 
sunset  mirrored  itself  in  the  water,  which  at  the  point 
of  junction  of  the  two  streams  spreads  out  wide  like  a 
sea.  As  the  dark  mass  of  the  Missouri  hurries  forward 
broad  and  majestic  out  of  the  woods,  it  looks  as  if  it 
would  take  forcible  possession  of  the  entire  Mississippi 
bed. 


380  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

One  could  almost  believe  that  it  presses  the  Missis- 
sippi waters  back  and  dams  them  up ;  for,  one  sees  where 
in  long  streaks  the  two  unite,  an  apparent  elevation  of 
the  Mississippi  water,  past  which  the  Missouri  pushes 
with  seeming  impatience.  And  for  many  miles  you  ob- 
serve an  actual  division  of  the  waters.  As  we  steamed 
into  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri,  evening  had  already 
come.  Only  the  pale  reflection  of  the  western  sun  was 
still  to  be  seen  upon  the  mighty  water,  and  in  the  gloomy 
shadows  of  the  forest  on  the  banks  were  thousands  of 
restless,  flickering  fireflies.  Only  here  and  there  a  small 
and  lonesome  farmhouse  light  glinted  homelike  out  of 
the  woods.  Finally,  upon  the  eastern  horizon  appeared 
summer  lightning.  The  heavens  clouded  over,  and  be- 
fore the  rain  began  to  fall  we  went  back  into  our  cabin. 
Morning  brought  us  to  Augusta,  a  little  place  some 
fifty  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri.  I  think  I 
wrote  you  that  several  educated  imniigrants  of  the  thir- 
ties had  settled  there,  who  were  conserving  in  that  neigh- 
borhood, in  their  own  way,  the  best  features  of  German 
life.  Augusta  is  a  small  town  of  not  more  than  three 
hundred  inhabitants,  built  upon  hills  which  fall  away 
steeply  toward  the  Mississippi  [Missouri]. 

We  were  received  by  an  old  Mr.  Munch  from  Darm- 
stadt, a  sometime  theologian  and  professor  who  has  been 
in  Missouri  for  thirty-four  years.  He  is  a  brother  of 
the  well  known  "Far  West,"  Frederick  Munch,  who  has 
developed  such  a  useful  literary  activity  in  the  German 
press.  Our  host,  after  an  enthusiastic  greeting,  took 
us  to  his  house,  which  of  course  lay  on  one  of  the  many 
hills,  and  from  which  one  has  a  view  across  the  vine- 
yards for  many  miles  along  the  Missouri.  These  old 
German  patriarchs  do  not  live  elegantly,  but  cleanly, 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  381 

neatly,  and  if  one  does  not  demand  too  much,  comfort- 
ably. There  are  no  carpets,  but  beautifully  scoured 
floors;  no  upholstered  furniture,  but  tables  spread  with 
fresh  white  covers,  with  books  upon  them.  Our  host 
had  children  also,  of  whom  the  eldest  son  was  at  least 
thirty-five  years  old,  while  the  youngest  was  hardly 
more  than  eight  or  nine. 

After  breakfast  we  were  of  course  hustled  around 
over  the  other  hills  and  joyfully  introduced  to  all  friends 
and  acquaintances;  and  nowhere  must  we  omit  to  taste 
the  wine  which  every  family  produces  on  its  own  hill  and 
presses  in  its  own  cellar.  So  it  went,  from  house  to 
house,  until  finally  through  the  sheer  weariness  of 
friendship  we  were  glad  to  take  our  return  journey  to 
home  and  dinner  table.  Meantime  our  honored  friend 
"Far  West,"  who  knew  about  our  visit,  arrived  on  horse- 
back the  same  morning  from  his  eight  or  nine  miles' 
distant  farm  to  fraternize  with  us.  Our  host  brought 
him  to  us  with  the  words :  "Here  comes  the  old  Munch ; 
I  am  the  young  Munch."  The  old  Munch  is  nearly 
seventy  years  old  and  the  young  one  some  two  years 
younger.  Dinner  went  off  with  lively  and  loud  philo- 
sophical discussion. 

After  dinner,  however,  came  the  great  event.  Our 
arrival  had  become  well  known  in  the  town;  and  the 
population  of  Augusta,  old  and  young,  male  and  female, 
gathered  together  in  a  small  grove  to  welcome  us.  They 
brought  along  their  band,  which  was  made  up  wholly  of 
amateur  musicians,  but  not  at  all  bad.  There  was  plenty 
of  Augusta  wine.  Quite  naturally  speeches  had  to  be 
made.  First  I  had  to  talk  to  the  men,  then  to  the 
women,  then  to  both.  Following  this,  Preetorius  came 
on;  then  the  old  Munch;  until  we  all  declared  it  was 


S82  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

enough  of  a  good  thing.  Of  course  all  the  speeches 
were  in  German,  for  in  Augusta  there  are  no  Americans 
except  the  shoemaker's  apprentice,  who  has  recently  ar- 
rived and  who  is  learning  German,  and  several  negro 
families,  among  whom  the  children  can  already  speak 
German.  An  evening  meal  at  the  home  of  a  German 
doctor  concluded  the  delightful  affair.  About  eleven 
o'clock  we  went  up  and  down  the  hills  until  we  reached 
the  home  of  the  sixty-eight-year-old  "young"  Munch, 
that  offered  us  a  welcome  bed. 

This  morning  at  eight  o'clock  another  steamboat 
received  us  for  the  return  journey,  and  we  saw  in  bright 
daylight  the  Missouri,  which  two  nights  before  we  had 
passed  through  in  darkness.  The  banks  are  not  uninter- 
esting ;  in  many  places  indeed  they  are  very  picturesque. 
Boldly  rising  cliffs — as  Spielhagen  would  say,  "cozy 
glens" — alternate  with  something  more  uniform,  with 
stretches  of  woodlands  overgrown  with  tropical  vegeta- 
tion. I  saw  many  a  spot  at  the  sight  of  which  I  thought : 
"If  you  only  had  a  little  country  house  here  and  all  of 
your  own  around  you!" 

The  little  German  colony  in  Augusta  certainly  gives 
the  impression  of  prosperity.  The  old  people  have 
preserved  the  tradition  of  the  German  spirit  and  Ger- 
man training,  but  they  are  unable  to  bequeath  this  tra- 
dition to  their  children.  It  is  an  observation  which  I 
have  made  almost  everywhere,  that  here  in  America, 
perhaps  with  the  exception  of  individual  cases  in  the 
great  cities,  the  children  of  educated  Germans  contrast 
strikingly  with  their  elders.  The  German  spirit  fades 
away.  If  the  training  remains  wholly  German  and  all 
contact  with  Americanism  is  avoided,  a  stupid  Pennsyl- 
vania Germanism  results.    Where  that  is  not  the  case, 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  383 

the  waves  of  Americanism  soon  overwhelm  the  second 
and  third  generations.  "The  mission  of  Germanism"  in 
America,  about  which  some  speak  so  loudly,  can  con- 
sist in  nothing  other  than  a  modification  of  the  Ameri- 
can spirit,  through  the  German,  while  the  nationalities 
melt  into  one.  In  a  few  years  the  old  patriarchs  in  pleas- 
ant little  Augusta  will  be  dead  and  their  successors  must 
be  carried  away  by  the  universal  movement. 

To  His  Wife 

Tuesday,  July  9  [1867] 

Today,  once  more,  the  regular  routine.  Congress 
has  assembled  and  so  we  have  at  least  some  incidents 
whose  discussion  looks  new  even  if  it  is  not.  Johnson 
has  again  bungled  reconstruction,  and  Congress  is  busy 
clearing  up  and  confirming  the  meaning  of  earlier  en- 
acted laws.  Affairs  in  the  South,  by  the  way,  are  going 
fairly  well.  .  .  . 

I  am  somewhat  lonesome.  Aside  from  the  people 
who  visit  me  in  the  office  I  see  hardly  anyone.  I  have 
had  our  old  Watertown  pictures  hung  up  in  my  office 
because  I  can  see  them  there  most.  Immediately  before 
my  desk  hangs  your  drawing  of  Maison-aux-Bains  in 
Montreux,  the  view  of  which  always  calls  to  mind  those 
beautiful  times.  Only  the  picture  of  our  little  angel 
stands  on  the  chimney  piece  of  my  bedroom,  and  to  it 
belong  my  last  gaze  at  night  and  my  first  in  the  morn- 
ing. .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  July  16,  1867 
.  .  .  Life  goes   forward  with  peaceful  uniformity. 
The  business  makes  the  same  demands  every  day  and  so 


384  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

I  work  away  quietly.  We  are  now  engaged  in  reorgan- 
izing our  editorial  personnel.  .  .  . 

You  will  laugh  when  you  hear  that  with  all  my  good 
nature  I  pass  here  for  a  hard  man ;  but  it  is  really  true. 
I  am  the  only  one  who  when  our  men  fail  to  do  their 
duty,  which  is  not  seldom  the  case,  now  and  then  gives 
them  an  energetic  dressing-down.  Accordingly,  they 
say  it  is  no  longer  pleasant  in  the  office  of  the  West- 
liche  Post  since  I  came  in.  .  .  . 

Moreover,  journalistic  work  at  present  is  in  no  way 
interesting.  The  great  fight  is  over;  our  opponents  are 
powerless,  and  momentarily  there  is  nothing  left  to  do 
except  to  consolidate  the  results  gained.  As  soon  as 
that  shall  have  been  done,  new  party  divisions  will  oc- 
cur and  new  questions  come  into  the  foreground.  Then 
a  new  political  life  will  begin.  At  present  one  works 
along  without  enthusiasm  or  fire  simply  because  it  is 
necessary  to  keep  the  machine  going.  Were  it  not  re- 
quired as  a  matter  of  business  for  me  to  participate — 
and  you  know  that  I  am  needed — I  would  much  rather 
be  silent. 

I  know  not  why  it  is,  but  the  picture  of  our  child  will 
not  fade  from  my  mind.  A  hundred  times  during  the 
day  while  I  am  writing  or  conversing,  her  image  crosses 
my  thoughts.  I  cannot  observe  a  bit  of  shaded  turf 
without  feeling  that  all  this  is  of  no  value  any  more 
since  she  cannot  play  on  it ;  nor  can  I  make  any  plan  for 
the  future  without  a  sensation  of  desolation.  It  has 
constantly  grown  worse  even  though,  when  I  have 
people  about  me,  I  force  myself  to  seem  cheerful  and 
can  also  for  brief  periods  forget  myself.  I  shall  have  to 
struggle  against  it  in  order  to  recover  my  equanimity. 
I  suppose  that  everyone  who  has  a  heart  must  endure 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  385 

pain  for  a  season  after  such  a  bereavement,  and  if  I  set 
myself  strongly  against  it  I  shall  finally  master  it.  .  .  . 
I  hope  that  you  are  now  pleasantly  installed  and  that 
you  will  take  every  advantage  of  the  environment,  ac- 
cording to  your  strength,  to  regain  your  health.  Have 
no  concern  about  me,  but  think  more  about  yourself,  and 
do  not  let  your  stay  in  Europe  be  in  vain. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

St.  Louis,  July  28,  1867 
I  have  just  received  your  letter  and  am  sending  the 
check  immediately  without  writing  a  long  letter,  since 
the  mail  leaves  at  once.  The  note  which  you  return  to 
me  cancelled  is  dated  January  27,  1866.  I  think  that 
must  have  been  a  mistake. 

Greet  your  wife  heartily  and  kiss  your  little  chil- 
dren for  me.  It  is  very  doubtful  if  I  shall  come  to  New 
York  this  summer,  but  I  hope  to  come  at  the  beginning 
of  winter.  You  poor  fellow,  how  are  things  going  with 
you?  Receive  my  hearty  greeting.  ...  I  have  just 
noticed  that  I  foolishly  made  the  check  payable  to  the 
company;  but  since  it  is  also  in  favor  of  bearer  you  can 
cash  it  just  the  same. 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  July  29, 1867 

My  life  goes  quietly  along  on  its  even  path.    I  have 

recently  gone  often  to  the  German  outdoor  theatre, 

which  is  indeed  very  good  considering  the  conditions 

here.     One  sits  under  a  roof  borne  upon  stone  pillars, 


386  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

otherwise  quite  airy  and  free,  smokes  his  cigar,  and 
watches  some  performance.  That  occupies  one  or  two 
hours  immediately  after  dinner,  if  one  is  weary  from 
the  day's  work  and  does  not  feel  quite  ready  to  go  to 
work  again.  In  this  recreation  I  regularly,  during 
Preetorius'  absence,  have  had  the  company  of  a  certain 
Dr.  B.,  a  very  agreeable  and  sensible  person,  who  how- 
ever has  the  fixed  idea  that  he  belongs  to  a  secret  so- 
ciety which  is  developing  a  world  government  and  which 
is  soon  to  bring  about  a  great  reversal  of  affairs  in  Ger- 
many. I  am  to  have  the  not  unenviable  position  of 
prime  minister.  Besides  this  doctor,  I  have  with  me 
also  a  German  writer  named  Udo  Brachvogel,  who  is 
a  very  spiritual  young  man.  That  is  about  the  only  di- 
version I  have,  but  it  suffices. 

I  have  word  from  Monee68  that  my  parents  are  very 
well.  Last  Saturday  they  celebrated  St.  Anne's  Day, 
to  which  Tony  invited  herself.  I  would  gladly  have 
gone  but  did  not  have  the  time.  So  I  sent  them  in 
addition  to  my  congratulations,  a  basket  of  fruit  and  a 
case  of  wine. 


To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  August  12,  1867 
Your  last  letter  notified  me  of  your  departure  from 

Hamburg,  and  since  you  must  have  been  in  great  haste  I 

will  pardon  you  for  failing  to  give  me  any  details  of 

your  arrangements  and  plans. 

Today  I  am  writing  you  in  the  actual  sweat  of  my 

face.    This  noon  the  thermometer  indicated  99  degrees 

88  Monee,  Illinois,  where  his  parents  now  lived  with  their  daughter  Anna 
and  her  husband,  August  Schiffer. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  387 

and  around  two  o'clock  it  must  have  reached  100  de- 
grees or  over.  It  is  now  nearly  six  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing and  the  drops  of  perspiration  roll  quietly  down  my 
face.  Still  it  is  much  cooler  than  it  was  two  hours  ago, 
and  I  hope  the  night  will  be  quite  endurable. 

Last  week  I  took  an  outing  for  a  day  anoT  a  half. 
The  Germans  here  have  the  custom  of  celebrating  par- 
ticular incidents  of  the  war.  So  the  farmers  of  St. 
Charles  County  celebrated  August  6,  the  day  on  which 
they  first  armed  themselves  in  the  year  1861,  and  took 
up  a  position  near  Cottleville,  ten  miles  from  St. 
Charles,  in  order  to  hold  in  check  the  rebel  population  of 
northern  Missouri.  They  gave  me  a  pressing  invitation 
and  I  attended,  going  from  here  to  St.  Charles  by  train 
and  from  there  through  a  very  fertile  region  to  Cottle- 
ville, where  the  celebration  occurred  in  a  little  grove.  I 
made  a  speech,  suffered  the  customary  attentions,  slept 
in  St.  Charles,  and  returned  hither  the  next  day.  The 
more  I  see  of  the  Germans  in  Missouri  the  more  they 
please  me.  They  are  really  a  fine  breed.  The  general 
level  is  higher  than  in  Wisconsin,  and  one  feels  quite  at 
home  among  this  sort  of  people.  If  the  Missourians 
boast  a  little  of  their  German  nationality  there,  they  are 
not  far  wrong  in  doing  so.69 

You  must  already  have  passed  two  or  three  weeks 
in  Switzerland.  How  anxious  I  am  to  receive  your  next 
letter  so  that  I  can  once  more  imagine  your  surround- 
ings! 

MThe  exceptionally  high  proportion  of  Forty-eighters  and  of  Repub- 
licans, together  with  the  unconscious  effect  of  the  prosperity  they  were 
bringing  him,  doubtless  colored  Schurz's  estimation  of  the  Missouri  Ger- 
mans in  contrast  with  those  of  Wisconsin,  among  whom  he  spent  some 
lean  years. 


388  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  August  20,  1867 
Your  last  letter  was  dated  Baden-Baden.  You  told 
me  of  your  glorious  Rhine  trip.  Why  could  I  not  have 
been  with  you !  How  much  I  could  have  shown  and  told 
you :  the  house  in  which  I  lived  in  Cologne,  the  schools 
I  attended,  the  places  on  the  Rhine  which  I  enjoyed  as 
a  student,  in  Baden  the  field  where  I  fought  the  first 
time,  and  in  Rastatt  the  hole  through  which  I  was  able 
to  make  my  escape!  How  splendid  that  would  have 
been!  Yet  I  will  not  give  up  the  happy  thought  that 
sometime  we  shall  make  this  trip  together.  How  we 
shall  enjoy  it!  I  rejoice  greatly  to  know  that  you  are 
at  a  place  where  you  can  do  something  effective  for  your 
health.  With  all  that  you  do  you  will  certainly  not  lose 
sight  of  that  object.  .  .  . 

It  is  becoming  somewhat  lively  in  politics  again. 
After  the  adjournment  of  the  last  session  of  Congress 
Johnson  seemed  disposed  to  make  a  last  attempt  to 
carry  through  his  plan.  He  drove  Stanton  from  the 
cabinet  and  removed  Sheridan  from  his  command  in 
Louisiana  and  Texas.  The  country  is  greatly  excited 
and  the  impeachment  of  the  President  next  winter  be- 
comes daily  more  probable.  Grant  was  made  interim 
secretary  of  war,  thus  taking  the  only  step  which  could 
prevent  him  from  becoming  president.  He  has  allowed 
himself  to  be  imposed  upon  and  placed  in  a  false  posi- 
tion. Everything  depends  on  how  he  is  going  to  get 
out  of  it.  Stanton,  Sheridan,  and  Chase  are  now  in  the 
foreground  as  presidential  candidates,  but  things  change 
so  rapidly  that  no  predictions  can  be  made. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  389 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  August  23,  1867 
I  was  in  the  midst  of  a  leading  article  when,  quite  un- 
expectedly, I  received  your  dear  letter  written  from 
Ragatz.  The  pictures  you  send  me  are  wonderfully  fine, 
not  only  as  to  the  landscapes  but  especially  in  their  ar- 
tistry. You  forgot,  however,  to  indicate  upon  the  pano- 
rama of  Ragatz  the  house  in  which  you  are  living.  .  .  . 
You  suggest  that  I  should  be  in  Europe  by  the  end  of 
September  and  take  you  back  in  October.  That  is  not 
according  to  our  understanding,  and  much  as  I  long 
to  surprise  you  in  Europe  I  cannot  think  of  it  in  the 
least.  ...  It  is  absolutely  necessary  that  I  be  here  at 
the  beginning  of  November,  and  to  go  to  Europe  prior 
to  that  in  the  expectation  of  being  back  here  Novem- 
ber 1  would  be  a  very  uncertain  program.  It  will  not  do. 
But  when  I  shall  have  taken  care  of  my  November  busi- 
ness I  will  watch  for  chances.  ...  It  would  be  lovely 
for  us  to  spend  Christmas  together  in  Hamburg,  if  I 
were  in  position  to  give  myself  a  couple  of  weeks'  vaca- 
tion. 

I  have  an  invitation  from  the  Equal  Rights  League 
in  Washington  to  deliver  a  lecture  there  next  winter, 
and  have  accepted  the  invitation  on  the  condition  that 
the  time  be  early  in  the  season — somewhat  prior  to  or 
about  the  middle  of  November.  I  have  several  good 
things  to  say  and  shall  utter  them  on  that  occasion — as- 
suming I  can  find  sufficient  leisure  properly  to  work  out 
my  speech. 

Among  Germans  the  enforced  observance  of  Sunday 
and  the  temperance  business  are  making  quite  a  disturb- 
ance; that  is,  not  here  in  Missouri,  but  elsewhere,  par- 


S90  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

ticularly  in  Chicago  and  Milwaukee.  This  naturally 
causes  much  rumpus  in  the  party;  it  begins  once  more 
to  crack  in  every  joint,  but  Johnson's  doings,  the  de- 
position of  Stanton,  Sheridan,  etc.,  have  once  more  so 
excited  the  popular  mind  and  so  united  all  independent 
elements  that  the  party  will  doubtless  hold  out  through 
the  next  election.  .  .  . 

The  picture  of  Kinkel  which  you  sent  me  pleased  me 
greatly.  I  should  hardly  have  recognized  him.  The 
countenance  has  in  it  something  quite  strange.  I  can 
imagine,  however,  that  this  impression  would  disappear 
as  soon  as  one  heard  him  speak.  I  will  write  him 
as  soon  as  possible. 

You  write  me  that  Adolf  will  visit  his  wife  in  Mon- 
tr eux  and  then  come  to  Ragatz  for  some  days  to  see  you. 
How  the  name  awakens  precious  memories!  Do  you 
recall  that  night  when  I  carried  our  child  up  the  stone 
steps  of  the  still  house  and  we  looked  back  upon  the  blue 
lake  and  the  Savoy  mountains,  as  they  shimmered  in  the 
white  moonlight !  And  how  we  then  lived  like  children 
in  the  full,  joyous  appreciation  of  wonderful  na- 
ture! But  those  were  golden  days;  that  was  youth! 
In  this  country  I  was  still  an  unknown,  unrecognized 
man.  The  newspapers  knew  nothing  of  me  and  I  had 
not  yet  heard  the  applause  of  assembled  thousands.  But 
how  much  happier  were  we,  and  with  what  carefree  souls 
did  we  enter  into  the  joy  of  living!  That  is  over  now. 
The  sunshine  now  has  a  different  tinge  for  us,  and  when 
we  consider  our  lives  we  think  not  alone  about  what  is 
to  be  but  also  about  what  has  been.  The  time  is  gone 
when  we  could  separate  our  future  from  our  past.  And 
yet  I  know  that  if  we  were  to  find  ourselves  together 
again  as  at  that  time  in  Montreux,  we  could  be  very 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  391 

happy — a  happiness  indeed  of  a  different  kind,  less 
driven  by  the  winds  of  hope,  and  more  peaceful  in  the 
enjoyment  of  what  has  been  vouchsafed  us.  I  have  at- 
tained this  and  that  in  life,  and  how  often  have  I  found, 
upon  attaining  it,  that  it  was  a  chimera!  One  mourns 
his  lost  illusions  as  he  regretfully  remembers  beautiful 
dreams.  But  every  illusion  lost  is  fundamentally  a  gain. 
There  will  always  be  enough  left  to  keep  our  blood 
warm.  But  after  experience  has  taught  us  to  trust  them 
less,  the  deceptions  will  prove  less  painful  because  they 
will  contain  less  of  the  element  of  surprise.  When  one 
has  gone  through  this  process  of  development,  then  in- 
deed the  goblet  of  life  does  not  effervesce  so  much ;  but 
the  wine  is  still  there,  only  it  is  quiet.  Assuredly  we 
can  be  happy  again  and  we  shall  be  when  we  get  our 
little  flock  peacefully  under  a  single  roof  and  have  the 
means  of  a  pleasant  life.  Our  hearts  will  never  be  so 
shriveled  as  to  be  unable  to  raise  a  shout  of  joy  at  a 
view  like  that  in  the  night  upon  the  steps  in  Mon- 
treux.  .  .  . 

Be  as  glad  and  happy  as  you  can.  I  am  rejoiced 
that  you  are  to  be  so  near  Adolf.  His  is  a  noble  na- 
ture. .  .  . 


To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  August  27,  1867 
.  .  .  Politics  would  be  terribly  stupid  if  Johnson  did 
not  entertain  us  with  his  capers.  He  is  a  madman. 
Now  that  Congress  is  not  in  session  he  carries  on  as  if 
he  would  stick  the  world  in  his  bag;  yet  he  knows  that 
the  game  will  last  only  a  couple  of  months.  He  will 
possibly  cause  a  little  confusion  in  the  South,  but  aside 


392  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

from  this  his  doings  can  have  no  practical  result.  Even 
the  most  moderate  Republicans  now  speak  of  impeach- 
ment, and  if  Johnson  goes  on  like  this  for  a  while  longer 
the  stream  cannot  be  dammed  up  after  the  reassembling 
of  Congress.  Sheridan,  who  hereafter  will  have  his 
headquarters  in  Leavenworth,  must  pass  through  here 
on  his  journey  thither,  and  it  is  intended  on  that  occa- 
sion to  make  a  great  demonstration  for  him  which  shall 
ring  in  the  President's  ears. 


To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  August  31,  1867 
The  political  situation  becomes  more  interesting 
every  day;  I  might  almost  say  more  threatening.  The 
way  Johnson  is  carrying  on  with  his  creatures  raises 
the  fear  that  he  may  be  thinking  of  a  coup  d'etat.  It  is 
not  impossible  that  he  is  preparing  to  resist  the  impeach- 
ment with  force.  That  would  lead  to  new  confusion 
which,  however,  considering  the  universal  detestation  in 
which  Johnson  is  held,  could  end  only  in  his  swift  over- 
throw. He  now  bites  at  all  about  him  like  a  wounded 
and  anger-crazed  boar.  And  so  long  as  Congress  is  not 
in  session  there  is  no  means  of  chaining  him  unless  Grant 
should  give  him  formal  notice  that  he  will  no  longer  obey 
and  should  refuse  to  carry  out  his  orders.  Grant,  in  my 
opinion,  made  a  bad  mistake  in  accepting  the  secretary- 
ship of  war  and  thereby  rendering  easier  the  removal  of 
Stanton.  Since  then,  he  has  conducted  himself  as  well 
as  his  embarrassing  position  permitted.  Naturally  he 
immediately  came  into  violent  conflict  with  the  Presi- 
dent, whom  he  sought  to  restrain  by  protest  from  sup- 
planting Sheridan  and  Sigel.     Of  course  that  had  no 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  393 

effect.  Stanton's  method  of  crossing  the  President's 
plans  is  foreign  to  Grant.  So  the  tussel  goes  on,  but  it 
is  to  be  expected  that  Grant  will  resign  from  the  War 
Department  or  that  the  President  will  put  in  some  other 
man.  Sheridan  will  probably  come  through  St.  Louis 
on  his  way  to  the  scene  of  the  Indian  war,  and  we  are 
engaged  in  preparing  a  great  demonstration  which  will 
reveal  to  the  President  the  temper  of  the  people.  The 
affair  will  probably  come  off  toward  the  end  of  next 
week.  ... 

You  should  see  my  office  as  it  generally  is  now.  The 
Secretary  of  State  sent  us  two  great  upholstered  rock- 
ing-chairs made  in  the  state  prison  by  the  prisoners. 
One  is  for  Preetorius  and  one  for  me.  They  are  won- 
derfully comfortable  and  I  wish  you  could  see  me  lux- 
uriating in  mine. 


To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  September  10,  1867 
I  can  write  you  only  a  little  today  because  I  can  take 
hardly  half  an  hour  for  it.  Sheridan  reached  here  Satur- 
day night,  or  rather  Sunday  morning  about  one  o'clock. 
A  committee,  of  which  I  was  the  head,  received  him  at 
the  station  and  accompanied  him  to  his  hotel.  Besides 
that  I  have  had  to  be  on  my  feet  constantly  to  manage 
the  preparations  for  the  whole  demonstration,  and  in 
addition  had  to  make  a  speech,  since  the  official  recep- 
tion in  the  name  of  the  city  and  of  the  state  was  left 
to  me.  That  filled  my  time  Sunday  and  yesterday. 
The  whole  business  came  off  last  night,  a  demonstra- 
tion never  surpassed  in  St.  Louis.  There  were  thou- 
sands in  the  torchlight  procession ;  it  was  about  three  or 


394  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

four  times  as  long  as  the  distance  between  the  Southern 
Hotel  and  Washington  Avenue.     Before  the  Fourth 
Street  front  of  the  hotel  men  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder 
for  almost  three  blocks.     There  were  many  thousands. 
I  gave  my  speech  of  welcome  from  the  great  balcony, 
which  also  was  crowded  full  of  gentlemen  and  ladies. 
My  speech,  of  which  I  am  sending  you  a  printed  copy, 
received  much  applause  and  I  believe  you  will  like  it. 
After  these  ceremonies  were  over  I  took  Sheridan 
to  the  German  summer  theatre,  where  Der  Freischiltz 
was  being  given  and  there  was  a  brilliant  illumination 
in  honor  of  the  general.    At  first,  when  we  went  in,  the 
people  did  not  notice  that  Sheridan  was  there.     He  is 
very  short  and  disappears  in  a  crowd.    By  and  by,  dur- 
ing the  play,  the  fact  was  whispered  around.     When 
finally  the  curtain  fell,  hurrahing  and  handshaking  be- 
gan.   It  is  a  wonder  that  we  were  able  to  get  out.    Sheri- 
dan, who  held  closely  to  me,  lost  my  arm  a  couple  of 
times  and  was  almost  smothered.    We  finally  got  out  of 
doors  and  wanted  to  hurry  back  to  the  hotel,  but  that 
was  not  so  easily  accomplished.    A  large  division  of  old 
soldiers  of  the  Grand  Army  was  there  with  torches 
and  music.     The  horses  were  taken  by  the  bridles  and 
the  carriage  was  escorted  ceremoniously  to  the  Southern 
Hotel.    Now  the  whole  business  broke  out  again,  music 
corps,  etc.    We  did  not  get  to  bed  until  one  and  summa 
summarum — the  business  has  been  a  genuine  hardship 
for  me.    I  am  very  glad  that  Sheridan  is  leaving  today 
and  that  my  old-time  habits  are  to  begin  again.     My 
speech  will  probably  go  through  the  entire  Republican 
press,  because  everybody  has  been  awaiting  with  eager- 
ness the  great  welcoming  demonstration  in  St.  Louis. 
I  translated  the  speech  myself  into  German  for  our 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  395 

paper,  and  so  my  own  German  version  will  doubtless  be 
the  current  one. 

Sheridan  naturally  has  become  more  prominent  in 
St.  Louis  on  account  of  his  recall  than  he  was  on  account 
of  his  good  administration.  His  is  a  simple  nature,  and 
he  looks  at  things  with  clear  and  true  eyes  and  bases  his 
opinion  upon  these  observations.  In  relation  to  our 
political  questions  he  is  radical  through  and  through,  and 
what  he  thinks  of  Johnson  can  be  easily  assumed  in  view 
of  the  treatment  he  received  from  him.  It  would  not 
surprise  me  in  the  least  if  his  name  were  to  appear  on  the 
list  of  presidential  candidates,  although  he  declares  he 
has  no  political  ambitions  and  wants  to  remain  a  soldier. 
I  wish  you  could  have  seen  the  affair  too.  It  was  the 
first  great  stroke  in  the  present  year  against  the  John- 
son policy. 

Yesterday  I  received  your  dear  letter  in  which  you 
described  your  little  tour  to  Pfeffer's.  I  thank  you  for 
the  charming  description.  You  ask  if  I  know  the 
scenery  from  personal  observation.  No,  that  part  of 
Switzerland  I  have  never  visited  and  everything  is  new 
to  me.  I  was  only  in  the  Basel  land,  Thurgau,  Zurich, 
Berne,  and  in  the  Vaudois.  The  rest  of  Switzerland 
would  be  new  to  me,  and  sometime  when  we  have  leisure 
we  shall  see  it  fully  together.  How  I  hope  that  your 
provisional  cure  in  Ragatz  has  had  the  wished-for  re- 
sults ! 


To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  September  17,  1867 
Yesterday  I  returned  from  a  little  excursion  which 
I  had  undertaken  Sunday.     I  went  with  my  young 


396  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

friend,  Udo  Brachvogel,  a  very  lovable  and  talented 
literary  character,  to  the  farm  of  his  brother  at  Vine- 
land  near  De  Soto.  This  brother  is  already  an  elderly 
man,  who  was  a  considerable  property  owner  in  Europe. 
Last  year  he  bought  a  large  farm  of  upwards  of  six 
hundred  acres,  laid  out  vineyards,  built  mills,  and  is  now 
in  an  active  and  promising  business.  The  family  lives 
in  a  large  log  house  with  rather  extensive  outbuildings. 
One  sees  everywhere  the  hand  of  the  busy  housewife, 
who  understands  how  to  arrange  things  tastefully  even 
when  luxury  is  absent.  I  felt  in  this  home  the  true  Ger- 
man comfort.  Mrs.  Brachvogel  is  also  elderly,  with  a 
good  education  and  accustomed  from  youth  to  the  com- 
fortable and  rich  living  of  the  well-to-do  class  in  Ger- 
many. Now  she  has  taken  hold  courageously  to  make 
for  her  family  a  pleasant  home,  even  though  her  heart 
still  yearns  for  Europe.  On  the  other  hand,  the  old 
gentleman  Brachvogel  has  already  become  an  enthusias- 
tic American,  who  is  quite  charmed  with  his  new  activi- 
ties ;  and  when  I  heard  this  couple  so  eagerly  discussing 
the  relative  merits  and  advantages  of  America  and 
Europe,  there  came  to  my  mind  many  a  conversation 
which  you  and  I  have  indulged  in  with  each  other.  The 
son  of  the  family,  a  splendid  young  man  of  about 
twenty,  was  formerly  with  the  Prussian  Marine.  He 
has  now  taken  hold  of  his  new  calling  with  full  vigor 
and  has  become  quite  an  American  farmer.  I  spent  a 
very  delightful  day  there.  We  walked  about  the  place, 
enjoyed  the  fine  forest  air  and  much  agreeable  conver- 
sation. Yesterday  morning  I  returned  by  railway,  quite 
refreshed.  Here  I  found  your  dear  letter  written  upon 
your  birthday.  .  .  . 

Last  week  we  had  a  visit  from  a  great  German  liter- 
ary man,  Frederick  Gerstacker,  who  is  on  a  journey 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  397 

through  the  continent  and  to  South  America.  We  ate 
together  regularly  at  Buhler's  and  attempted  to  extract 
from  him,  conversationally,  some  of  the  Munchhausen- 
like  stories  in  which  he  so  excels.  But  he  seemed  to 
smell  a  mouse  and  we  were  able  to  get  absolutely  nothing 
out  of  him  except  one  single  hyena  that  he  claimed  to 
have  shot  during  a  night  hunt  in  Africa.  It  was  delicious 
to  hear  one  of  his  acquaintances,  with  whose  brother  in 
Arkansas  Gerstacker  formerly  lived  for  nine  months, 
tell  us  that  they  had  tried  at  that  time  in  vain  to  induce 
this  man,  who  has  given  to  literature  such  tremendous 
hunting  stories,  to  undertake  one  single  hunting  expedi- 
tion during  the  whole  time  he  was  there ;  and  yet  some  of 
the  most  remarkable  of  his  stories  were  written  after 
that  very  period.  When  he  left  here  for  the  Indian 
country  he  enveloped  himself  in  a  gray  hunting-coat 
trimmed  with  green  and  equipped  himself  with  a  double- 
barreled  gun  and  a  powerful  stag  hunter  as  if  to  indi- 
cate that  now  things  were  going  to  happen.  We  shall 
doubtless  read  wonderful  adventure  stories  by  him.  We 
had  a  delightful  time  with  him  and  he  promised  to  come 
again  after  having  seen  the  Indian  gatherings  near 
Fort  Laramie,  which  probably  will  not  take  place. 

Hecker  also  was  here  one  day  during  the  Sheridan 
demonstration.  He  is  quite  cheerful  and  kept  us  laugh- 
ing for  hours.  Suddenly,  after  having  eaten  with  us  in 
the  evening  at  Buhler's,  he  disappeared  among  the 
crowds  of  the  Sheridan  demonstration  and  the  next  day 
we  heard  that  he  had  promptly  retired  to  his  farm.  He 
is  still  the  same:  astonishes  one  occasionally  with  his 
abundant  knowledge  and  keen  mind,  and  then  again 
gives  himself  over  to  the  wildest  and  craziest  narrations. 

I  am  just  now  writing  an  account  of  the  Eleventh 
Corps  in  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  which  is  to  be 


398  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

printed  in  the  New  York  Tribune,  I  can  work  only 
slowly  because  I  have  little  time.  I  will  send  you  the 
article  as  soon  as  it  comes  out.  I  believe  it  will  please 
you.  Now  I  must  take  my  leave  of  you  for  today;  in 
the  composing  room  they  have  been  calling  for  copy 
this  quarter  of  an  hour. 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  September  21,  1867 
.  .  .  When  the  family  of  Preetorius  was  coming 
back  home,  I  said  to  him  that  I  would  immediately 
rent  an  abode  for  myself.  He  answered  that  he  and  his 
wife  would  feel  injured  if  I  did  so;  that  his  wife  had 
particularly  charged  him  not  to  permit  me  to  leave, 
but  to  prepare  for  me  a  room  upstairs  in  the  house. 
This  they  have  done  and  I  have  had  to  submit.  They 
are  certainly  very  friendly  and  obliging.  Preetorius 
himself  is  helpful  to  me  in  all  matters  and  is  always 
ready  to  make  my  situation  here  as  agreeable  as  pos- 
sible. .  .  . 

My  speech  to  Sheridan  has  been  much  read  and 
much  admired.  It  was  telegraphed  entire  by  the  As- 
sociated Press  all  over  the  Union,  and  I  have  received 
letters  from  various  persons  expressing  themselves  on 
it  very  enthusiastically.  Today  I  am  sending  you  my 
letter  about  the  temperance  question  and  the  attitude 
of  the  Germans  in  the  Republican  party.  This  letter 
has  been  issued  only  five  days  but  has  already  made  the 
round  of  all  the  great  political  papers  of  the  West,  which 
express  themselves  very  appreciatively  on  it.  I  shall 
soon  find  it  also  in  the  Republican  papers  of  the  East, 
and  I  hope  that  it  will  have  a  good  effect  generally. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  399 

You  will  observe  that  it  is  intended  especially  for  the 
Americans.  The  temperance  movement  has  begun 
again  almost  everywhere,  and  in  the  party  we  observe 
the  most  disquieting  symptoms  of  disintegration.  Now 
the  reaction  caused  by  the  temperance  people  has  set 
in  strongly  and  the  Republican  state  conventions  in  the 
West  are  hastening,  one  after  another,  to  accept  the 
demands  of  the  Germans.  My  letter  is  calculated  to 
give  this  reaction  a  new  impulse,  and  from  what  the 
press  says  I  conclude  that  it  will  not  fail  of  its  object. 

Still  I  think  that,  whatever  efforts  we  may  put  forth, 
the  Republican  party  will  suffer  distinct  losses  in  a 
number  of  states.     The  party  organization  has  in  too 
many  places  fallen  into  the  hands  of  genuine  wire- 
pullers, which  has  naturally  discouraged  the  best  ele- 
ments.   My  table  is  covered  with  telegraphic  dispatches 
and  letters,  particularly  from  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio, 
in  which  I  am  appealed  to,  in  God's  name,  to  come  and 
help.    But  I  shall  not  go.    Where  the  local  party  leaders 
have  drawn  their  carts  into  the  mud  they  may  pull 
them  out  themselves.    I  am  weary  of  bothering  myself 
to  make  good  the  foolishness  of  other  people.     I  shall 
speak  in  only  three  or  four  places,  where  the  party  has 
conducted  itself  relatively  well,  and  there  only  shortly 
before  the  election.    A  few  stabs  this  fall  will  not  injure 
us  if  they  do  not  come  too  strong.     On  the  contrary, 
they  will  help  the  best  elements,  and  particularly  the 
well-disposed  Germans,  to  unite  next  year  in  the  presi- 
dential election.    With  the  party  united  once  more,  it 
will  not  be  difficult  to  arouse  the  old  enthusiasm  and  the 
old  hatred  of  traitors  like  Andrew  Johnson. 

I  have  been  approached  from  many  directions  on 
the  subject  of  accepting  the  nomination  for  Congress, 
and  am  always  told  that  if  I  would  accept  it  the  matter 


400  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

would  take  care  of  itself.  The  so-called  Missouri  Demo- 
crat, the  leading  English  Republican  organ  in  the  state, 
has  asked  me  if  it  would  be  agreeable  that  my  name  be 
brought  out  now;  if  so,  it  should  be  done  at  once.  The 
paper  would  stand  wholly  at  my  disposal.  I  always 
answer  that  for  the  present  my  name  is  not  to  be  used  in 
comiection  with  a  nomination  and  that  I  shall  have  to 
decide  when  the  time  is  ripe.  I  mean  this  honestly, 
for  although  my  election  in  this  strong  Republi- 
can district  would  be  certain,  I  must  first  see  how  politi- 
cal forces  shape  themselves  and  whether  I  might  be  able 
to  accomplish  more  in  a  free,  strong,  private  position 
than  in  Congress.  .  .  . 

I  am  now  gradually  beginning  to  discover  excellent 
educational  opportunities  for  the  children,  among  others 
very  good  music  teachers  and  a  splendid  school  for 
drawing  and  painting,  headed  by  German  teachers.  I 
hope  very  much  that  when  the  children  come  back  here 
they  will  at  least  speak  French  in  a  reasonably  finished 
way;  that  they  are  not  wasting  their  opportunity.  .  .  . 

Next  week  I  shall  make  a  short  journey  to  a  fair 
in  Booneville,  to  which  I  have  been  invited  with  very 
great  cordiality.  I  am  not  particularly  pleased  over  it, 
since  I  do  not  care  much  about  such  things,  but  it  is  good 
for  the  business  that  I  let  myself  be  seen  here  and  there. 
I  am  doing  it  for  that  reason.  Since  the  end  of  August 
we  have  had  much  cool  weather.  Naturally  all  danger 
of  cholera  has  now  disappeared. 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  September  23, 1867 
I  returned  from  my  excursion  to  Booneville  at  two 
o'clock  this  morning.     I  left  Wednesday  morning  at 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  401 

eight  o'clock  over  the  Pacific  Railroad,  accompanied  by 
my  loyal  squire  Schinkowski,  an  old  Polander  whom  I 
made  one  of  my  adjutants  in  the  Grand  Army.  At 
seven  o'clock  in  the  evening  we  reached  Tipton,  a  small 
prairie  village  from  which  place  we  had  to  make  the  re- 
maining twenty-five  miles  by  wagon.  A  couple  of 
Booneville  gentlemen  were  waiting  for  us,  and  after  a 
frugal  supper  such  as  we  are  accustomed  to  in  the 
country  hotels  here,  we  took  our  seats  in  the  carriage. 
The  night  was  wondrously  fine;  no  moon,  but  bright 
starlight.  So  we  rolled  along  cheerfully  over  the  prairie 
and  through  stretches  of  woodland,  and  made  light  of 
the  jolty  road  until  one  of  my  Booneville  friends  hit 
upon  the  unlucky  idea  of  taking  a  "better"  way,  which 
ran  parallel  to  the  main  road.  We  did  so.  Suddenly  we 
found  ourselves  on  the  open  prairie,  and  the  trail  on 
which  we  were  driving  began  to  look  very  blind.  But 
we  did  not  want  to  turn  back.  We  looked  at  the  stars 
and  found  that  the  track  ran  in  the  right  direction,  so 
we  followed  it  with  confidence.  It  led  us  into  the  woods, 
which  became  very  dense  and  dark  and,  as  it  seemed  to 
us,  had  no  end.  In  addition  the  trail  was  so  narrow  that 
the  limbs  of  the  trees  constantly  scraped  the  carriage  on 
both  sides.  Finally  two  of  my  companions  got  out. 
Luckily  they  had  a  box  of  matches  with  them,  which 
they  lighted  one  after  the  other  and  in  this  manner  il- 
luminated the  trail.  The  scene  reminded  me  strongly  of 
my  trip  in  the  Alabama  woods  in  the  year  1865,  when  a 
young  planter's  boy  had  to  light  me  through  the  forest 
with  a  tallow  candle.  In  this  manner  we  finally  reached 
a  fence,  hunted  up  and  found  the  farmhouse  pertaining 
thereto,  and  the  farmer  directed  us  back  to  the  main 
road.  We  were  glad  to  reach  it  and  did  not  any  longer 
yearn  for  the  "better  way."    About  two  o'clock  at  night 


402  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

we  finally  reached  Booneville.  They  put  me  up  at  the 
City  Hotel,  the  nicest  country  hotel  I  have  found  in 
America — and  how  I  slept  in  the  soft,  wide  bed  after  my 
severe  ordeal! 

Next  morning  after  breakfast  the  deputations  be- 
gan to  wait  on  me,  both  Germans  and  Americans,  who 
declared  they  had  not  invited  me  to  torture  a  speech 
out  of  me,  but  in  pure  friendship,  to  enable  me  to  pass 
a  couple  of  pleasant  days.  That  was  good  to  hear.  So 
I  was  packed  into  a  handsome  carriage  drawn  by  two 
splendid  horses,  and  was  driven  at  a  good  clip  through 
the  town  and  the  vineyards  surrounding  it. 

Booneville  is  a  pretty  little  place  of  some  four  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  located  between  lovely  bluffs  at  the 
middle  point  of  the  state  on  the  banks  of  the  Missouri. 
A  large  proportion  of  the  population  is  German.  There 
are  no  really  educated  people  there,  but  very  good 
middle-class  folk.  After  dinner  they  took  me  to  the 
fair  grounds.  The  county  fair  was  being  held  and  I 
was  received  by  the  directors,  who  insisted  on  my  ex- 
amining a  portion  of  the  exhibits.  There  was  a  tourna- 
ment quite  in  the  southern  style,  and  tilting  at  the  ring, 
such  as  was  customary  in  Europe  at  the  end  of  the 
Middle  Ages.  There  were  many  former  rebels  present 
but  they  received  me  with  much  politeness.  Then  we 
had  a  little  lunch  at  the  Booneville  battle  ground,  where 
one  hundred  and  fifty  citizens  of  Booneville,  organized 
as  a  Union  home  guard,  repulsed  an  attack  of  fifteen 
hundred  rebels  and  slew  their  leaders.  Almost  every 
small  town  in  Missouri  has  its  history,  but  that  of  Boone- 
ville is  particularly  honorable.  And,  as  everywhere  in 
Missouri,  it  was  the  Germans  who  in  the  midst  of  the 
rebellion  and  of  the  enemy  population  held  aloft  the 
banner  of  the  Union. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  403 

The  principal  event  came  at  night.  The  Turners 
had  arranged  a  ball,  and  a  table  abundantly  supplied 
with  Booneville  wine  was  placed  upon  the  stage  for  me 
and  my  company.  The  men  desired  me  to  dance  with 
their  daughters  and  wives,  but,  as  you  know,  that  could 
not  be.  At  last,  when  I  returned  to  my  hotel,  came  the 
inevitable  serenade  arranged  by  the  Booneville  amateur 
brass  band.  It  was  not  quite  unendurable.  I  thanked 
them  in  a  little  speech  and  thought  that  now  I  could 
betake  myself  to  my  bed  and  peacefully  give  myself 
over  to  sleep.  But  I  had  hardly  got  under  the  coverlet 
when  I  heard  another  noise.  It  was,  as  my  Squire  Schin- 
kowski  reported,  the  American  Glee  Club,  made  up  of 
several  singers,  two  violins,  one  bass  viol,  and  one  bass 
horn.  The  singing  was  introduced  with  a  sort  of  prelude 
in  which  every  instrument  seemed  to  amble  quite  at  will 
through  all  possible  keys.  Then  a  tenor  voice  struck 
in  and  sang  a  song  whose  refrain  was:  "Mother,  kiss 
me  in  my  dreams!"  The  climax  of  the  song  was  the 
following  voice  and  instrumental  effect :  tenor  voice  in 
highest  pitch,  and  piano,  "Mother";  violins,  very  softly, 
"Diddle  dee";  tenor  voices  pianissimo,  "Mother!" 
violins,  still  softer,  "Diddle  dee";  chorus,  in  thunder 
tones  and  crashing  bass  horn,  "Kiss  me  in  my  dreams!" 
So  it  went  through  an  endless  succession  of  strophes. 
"Well,"  thought  I,  "now  I  can  sleep."  But  hardly  had 
I  got  ready  for  it  again  when  a  Turner  Singing  Society 
appeared  and  sang  several  really  pretty  songs  in  front 
of  my  window.  Schinkowski  came  to  get  me  out  for 
another  speech,  but  I  was  determined  not  to  let  myself 
be  disturbed  again  and  so  my  squire  went  down  and  told 
the  Turners  that  I  had  got  into  a  perspiration;  if  I 
Were  to  get  up  I  might  take  cold  and  become  ill  and  die, 


404  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

and  the  loss  would  be  too  heavy.  The  good  Turners  ap- 
preciated this  and  left  me  in  peace.  But  the  American 
Glee  Club  (incidentally,  as  I  heard  later,  made  up  prin- 
cipally of  former  secessionists)  had  bewitched  me.  In- 
stead of  being  kissed  by  mother  in  my  dreams,  I 
dreamed  I  belonged  to  a  robber  band  of  skinners  and 
was  being  followed  by  the  police  with  abominable  yell- 
ing. 

Next  day  we  cheerfully  took  our  departure,  abun- 
dantly supplied  with  wine,  cakes,  grapes,  and  roasted 
chickens.  I  arrived  here  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning 
and  my  friends  said  that  I  looked  quite  fresh  after  my 
three  days'  excursion.  Next  week,  probably  day  after 
tomorrow,  I  shall  start  off  again.  Thieme,  whom 
you  know,  has  invited  me  urgently  to  make  a  speech  in 
Cleveland.  I  shall  stop  over  one  day  in  Chicago,  at 
Tony's,  then  go  to  Cleveland,  and  spend  the  rest  of 
the  week  in  Monee.  In  this  manner  I  shall  rest  up  a  bit 
from  my  office  work.  That  is  what  you  wish  and  so  I 
will  do  it.  But  I  can  assure  you  the  work  is  not  too 
heavy.  Somewhat  monotonous  it  is,  but  it  demands  no 
very  great  exertion.  .  .  . 

I  am  very  glad  you  are  coming  to  know  beautiful 
Switzerland  so  well.  Could  I  only  have  been  with  you, 
how  we  should  have  enjoyed  it  together !  When  you  are 
in  Vevay,  greet  for  me  beautiful  old  Montreux  with  its 
happy  memories.  I  would  write  to  the  children  today, 
but  having  returned  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  feel 
somewhat  worn  and  tired. 

To  His  Wife 

Cleveland,  October  4,  1867 
Yesterday  I  made  a  speech  here  before  a  great  and 
very  enthusiastic  gathering.    It  went  beautifully.  After 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  405 

the  meeting  a  torchlight  procession  and  a  great  serenade 
were  given  me.  To  please  the  Americans,  who  were 
present  by  thousands,  I  had  to  make  a  short  speech  from 
the  balcony  of  the  Weddell  House.  The  whole  thing 
went  off  in  the  most  satisfactory  manner. 

This  afternoon  I  shall  return  to  Chicago  and  go 
from  there  to  Monee,  where  I  intend  to  spend  several 
days  with  my  parents.  And  since  I  can  get  free  a 
little  this  morning  and  can  be  alone  I  will  use  this  pleas- 
ant hour  to  talk  with  you,  although  this  letter  cannot 
go  for  several  days. 

I  reached  Chicago  day  before  yesterday  morning 
about  six  o'clock  and  went  to  Tony's,  where  I  spent  the 
day.  She  is  quite  the  old  Tony,  bright  and  cheerful  as 
ever.  ...  In  Chicago  spiritualism  now  prevails  fright- 
fully in  German  circles.  B.  is  an  enthusiastic  follower 
and  is  said  sometimes  to  do  the  most  comical  things  at 
the  spiritualistic  seances.  Br.,  also  a  believer,  is  still  in 
the  first  stage  of  enthusiasm  and  could  not  resist  bring- 
ing out  a  little  table  while  we  sat  at  dinner.  When  the 
noon  meal  was  over  the  matter  was  continued.  ...  I 
think  about  spiritualism  just  as  I  used  to.  The  phenom- 
ena are,  to  be  sure,  exciting  and  interesting,  and  where 
they  become  personal  they  touch  the  heart.  But  what  do 
they  prove?  I  have  seen  nothing  which  cannot  be  ex- 
plained on  the  theory  of  animal  magnetism,  just  like  the 
other  magnetic  phenomena  which  people  tell  about.  B. 
became  enthusiastic  to  the  point  of  laughableness.  He 
told  me  that  when  the  name  of  a  certain  Irishman  was 
initialed  he  would  set  a  glass  of  whiskey  on  the  table; 
and  when  V.,  who  is  a  heavy  smoker,  made  himself 
known,  he  offered  him  a  cigar.  This  beats  everything. 
R.  also  takes  part  in  the  seances,  which  are  now  being 


406  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

held  weekly  in  Chicago  with  considerable  regularity; 
but  he  has  not  yet  been  able  to  come  to  any  decision. 

To  His  Wife 

Chicago,  October  7,  1867 
I  am  going  back  to  St.  Louis  tonight.  I  am  in  some- 
thing of  a  hurry  because  I  want  to  do  personally  the 
leading  article  concerning  the  results  of  the  election 
which  is  to  take  place  tomorrow  in  several  states.  These 
results  will  probably  not  be  very  brilliant  for  us,  with 
the  effect,  as  I  said  before,  that  we  shall  have  to  bestir 
ourselves  again  next  year  in  comiection  with  the  presi- 
dential election.    I  feel  it  already. 

The  letters  and  dispatches  I  am  receiving,  the  way 
men — and  indeed,  the  most  leading  characters — are 
seeking  me  out,  give  me  the  feeling  that  I  am  once 
more  in  the  ascendant.  Next  year  I  shall  of  course  not 
have  the  allurement  of  novelty,  but  something  much 
more  substantial:  a  well  established  influence,  an  ex- 
tensive acquaintance,  and  an  independent  position. 


To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  October  12,  1867 
I  received  yesterday  your  letters  which  contain 
the  beautiful  description  of  your  journey  to  Lake 
Lucerne,  and  the  lovely  photographs.  I  have  followed 
you  step  by  step  and  have  heartily  rejoiced  in  all  the 
beauty.  .  .  . 

I  wrote  you  earlier  that  the  results  of  the  October 
elections  seemed  to  me  quite  doubtful  and  that  I  did  not 
expect  any  particularly  favorable  results  for  the  Repub- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  407 

lican  party.  This  prediction  was  fulfilled  somewhat  too 
completely.  In  Pennsylvania  we  have  probably  lost 
our  candidate  for  the  supreme  court.  The  matter  is  not 
wholly  settled.  In  Philadelphia  the  Democratic  ticket 
was  elected  with  an  appreciable  majority;  and  in  Ohio 
we  lost  the  legislature  but  saved  our  gubernatorial  can- 
didate by  a  very  narrow  margin.  In  a  word,  the  Re- 
publican party  has  suffered  a  reverse,  and  the  Democrats 
with  President  Johnson  at  the  head  are  raising  wild  cries 
of  rejoicing.  These  incidents  have  no  immediate  prac- 
tical significance  since  the  work  of  reconstruction  so  far 
as  concerns  its  completion  remains  as  it  was,  in  the 
hands  of  Congress.  But  the  thing  has  given  Johnson, 
the  northern  Democrats,  and  the  old  rebels  of  the  South 
new  courage,  and  it  is  feared  that  Johnson  will  attempt 
to  hinder  by  executive  means  the  carrying  out  of  the 
congressional  policy.  It  is  indeed  not  improbable  that 
in  case  of  an  impeachment  and  his  suspension  during 
the  trial,  Johnson  would  resist.  The  confusion  which 
would  result  from  such  a  step  cannot  be  reckoned  in 
advance.  While  it  is  certain  that  the  northern  people 
would  soon  put  down  any  attempt  at  a  coup  d'etat, 
nevertheless  such  an  event  might  lead  to  all  kinds  of 
complications.  Towards  the  end  of  November  the  busi- 
ness will  clear  up,  for  Congress  is  to  reassemble  on  the 
twenty-first. 

During  the  first  two  days  after  the  election  the  re- 
ports from  Washington  were  very  threatening.  It  was 
then  thought  we  had  lost  the  governor  and  the  whole 
state  government  of  Ohio.  Later  reports,  that  this  was 
not  the  case,  seem  to  have  cooled  the  ardor  and  enthu- 
siasm of  the  Johnson  people  to  some  extent.  The  elec- 
tions in  New  York,  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  and  Kansas 


408  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

will  take  place  at  the  beginning  of  November.  If  these 
yield  a  good  result  I  do  not  believe  that  Johnson  will 
venture  anything;  but  I  have  some  fears  about  New 
York. 

In  any  event  the  presidential  campaign  of  next  year 
will  require  on  our  part  a  genuine  effort,  even  with 
Grant,  whose  nomination  for  the  presidency  appears  to 
have  been  rendered  practically  certain  by  the  October 
elections.  I  am  not  in  the  least  disquieted  about  the 
results  of  the  next  presidential  election  if  the  business 
is  carried  on  with  moderate  wisdom,  but  the  Republican 
party  now  needs  to  have  its  best  men  at  the  wheel,  and 
I  have  suggested  to  some  of  our  keenest  leaders  the  de- 
sirability of  holding  a  conference  within  the  next  few 
weeks  concerning  the  course  to  be  followed.  The  re- 
verses we  have  suffered  may  very  well  turn  to  our  ad- 
vantage. They  must  free  the  party  from  the  mischief 
of  side  issues  such  as  temperance,  and  force  the  wire- 
pullers and  speculators  out  of  their  positions  of  leader- 
ship. For  the  rest,  Johnson  will  doubtless  do  what  is 
necessary  for  his  own  ruin. 


To  His  Wife 

October  19,  1867 
Your  last  letter,  of  September  22,  describes  the 
glories  of  the  Rigi,  and  I  rejoice  heartily  in  all  of  the 
wonders  you  have  seen.  Yes,  it  is  too  bad  that  we  could 
not  have  enjoyed  it  together.  But  I  console  myself 
with  the  thought  that  you  at  least  have  seen  it,  and  when 
I  look  upon  the  promising  and  consistent  prosperity  of 
our  business,  which  answers  all  my  expectations,  I  hope 
confidently  that  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  we  can 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  409 

give  ourselves  a  good  time  in  all  comfort.  ...  It  is  a 
sort  of  profanation  to  associate  a  paragraph  about 
money  matters  with  talk  about  the  Rigi ;  but  you  under- 
stand the  relationship. 

I  am  so  glad  that  you  have  again  taken  up  your 
drawing.  I  know  how  much  satisfaction  it  will  be  to 
you  now  and  with  what  pleasure  we  shall  sometime  go 
through  your  sketches  and  riot  in  delightful  recollec- 
tions. Cultivate  the  talent  industriously.  It  yields  pure 
joy,  secure  against  any  unpleasant  after-taste.  Our 
fall  weather  is  very  fine,  but  warmer  here  again  the  last 
few  days  than  we  could  wish.  Still,  the  evenings  and 
nights  are  splendid.  .  .  . 

There  has  been  little  change  in  the  political  situation 
since  I  wrote  you  of  the  partial  defeat  of  the  Republi- 
cans in  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio.  The  Republican  press 
generally  manifests  a  good  spirit,  and  it  has  every 
reason  for  doing  so.  I  now  regard  the  nomination  of 
Grant  for  the  next  president  as  quite  certain  unless  he 
makes  very  serious  blunders  before  next  spring,  which 
is  not  probable.  But  there  will  be  a  lively  campaign, 
and  that  is  well.  There  is  indicated  a  general  disposi- 
tion in  the  party  to  throw  the  temperance  business  and 
political  speculation  overboard.  Horace  Greeley  alone 
in  the  New  York  Tribune  appears  cracked  as  usual. 
He  has  already  done  us  great  harm,  but  I  hope  that  by 
the  beginning  of  the  presidential  campaign  we  may  be 
able  to  tame  him.  So  much  will  be  at  stake  then,  and 
the  lessons  the  party  received  this  year  are  so  significant, 
that  he  will  finally  be  obliged  to  accept  the  inevitable. 
Johnson  is  of  course  considerably  encouraged,  yet  I 
hardly  believe  he  will  attempt  positive  opposition  to 
Congress  unless  in  the  impeachment  they  supersede  him 
and  suspend  him  from  office  during  the  trial.    Whether 


410  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

or  not  Congress  will  go  forward  with  the  impeachment 
has  become  somewhat  doubtful  since  the  Ohio  and  Penn- 
sylvania elections.  The  majority  will  possibly  lack  the 
courage. 

But  it  is  getting  lively  again  in  Europe.  For  two 
days  the  Atlantic  cable  has  been  telling  us  about  the 
design  of  Louis  Napoleon  to  send  an  army  of  interven- 
tion to  Rome  to  the  support  of  the  Pope,  and  we  can 
see  the  near  approach  of  the  outbreak  of  a  European 
war.  In  any  case,  you  will  be  quietly  secluded  in  Swit- 
zerland, and  if  it  should  come  to  a  general  conflict  we 
can  observe  the  great  spectacle  in  pleasant  security.  If 
Napoleon  intervenes  and  the  Italian  kingdom  resists, 
there  will  be  a  glorious  opportunity  for  Germany  to 
complete  her  unification  and  have  a  reckoning  with 
French  shamelessness. 

I  can  tell  you  nothing  new  about  my  life.  It  flows 
on  quietly  and  harmlessly  in  regular  activity,  one  day 
practically  like  another.  I  am  not  overworking  but  have 
always  plenty  to  do.  My  quiet  pleasure  is  to  think  of 
you  and  the  children,  and  to  this  I  devote  all  my  leisure 
hours.  Be  of  good  courage  and  let  me  hope  to  see  you 
stronger  and  more  cheerful;  so  much  depends  on  that. 


To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  October  26,  1867 
I  just  now  received  your  letter  from  Gersau,  the 
satisfactory  tone  of  which  has  done  me  much  good. 

Your  plan  to  go  to  Wiesbaden  satisfies  me 
thoroughly.  The  climate  of  Wiesbaden  is  mild  and  I 
believe  that  a  winter's  stay  there  will  answer  every  ex- 
pectation. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  411 

I  am  now  engaged  in  putting  my  financial  affairs  in 
order  as  far  as  they  can  and  must  be  brought  in  order 
at  the  end  of  the  first  half-year.  .  .  .  Then  I  expect  to 
make  my  preparations  for  the  Christmas  journey  to 
Europe.  ...  I  had  intended  to  do  nothing  more  be- 
fore the  election,  aside  from  the  speech  which  I  am  to 
deliver  in  Cleveland.  But  a  cry  of  distress  came  from 
the  state  committee  of  Wisconsin  which  I  could  not  re- 
sist. They  said  that  only  I  could  save  the  state,  so  I 
weakened  and  took  on  six  appointments  at  Racine  and 
elsewhere.  I  was  unable  to  refuse  the  old  friends,  and 
inasmuch  as  the  Republicans  of  Wisconsin  have  con- 
ducted themselves  well  in  all  things,  they  deserve  my 
aid.  Grant's  nomination  for  the  presidency  is  as  good 
as  certain,  but  even  his  popularity  will  not  make  all 
efforts  superfluous.  Before  going  to  Europe  I  must 
spend  some  days  in  Washington.  A  meeting  of  party 
leaders  is  planned  there  which  I  should  not  miss;  sec- 
ondly, I  must  secure  a  passport  and  learn  through  the 
Prussian  minister  whether  it  will  be  viseed  for  the 
Prussian  states — for  Wiesbaden  also  is  now  Prussian. 
I  shall  also  approach  Bancroft  and  Bucher  about  this 
business,  for  I  should  not  like  to  encounter  inconven- 
iences. I  do  not  believe  that  I  am  among  the  number 
of  the  amnestied,  and  while  it  is  improbable  that  they 
will  think  of  incarcerating  me,  it  is  nevertheless  better 
to  have  previous  assurances  in  such  matters.  .  .  . 

I  am  greatly  pleased  to  know  that  the  children  are 
regularly  in  school.  Will  they  learn  French  decently 
in  Wiesbaden?  I  would  look  to  that  particularly.  Now 
is  the  time  and  opportunity  for  it.  .  .  .  Be  strong  and 
happy,  and  remember  when  you  think  of  me  that  every- 
thing is  going  well  with  me. 


412  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

To  His  Wife 

Milwaukee,  November  3,  1867 

Today  by  way  of  exception  I  can  write  you  only  a 
few  words.  I  am  in  the  midst  of  the  Wisconsin  electoral 
campaign  and  am  staying  here  in  the  hotel  with  Gover- 
nor Fairchild  in  a  single  room,  since  all  other  good 
rooms  in  the  house  are  let. 

I  have  delivered  some  speeches  in  the  interior  of  the 
state  and  shall  speak  here  to  the  Germans  tomorrow 
evening,  the  eve  of  the  election.  Then  I  shall  go  home. 
What  the  result  of  the  election  will  be  I  dare  not  pre- 
dict. The  Democrats  are  making  extraordinary  efforts 
and  are  spending  great  sums  of  money.  The  Germans, 
to  a  considerable  extent,  have  been  rendered  skittish  by 
the  old  temperance  humbug,  but  still  I  have  everywhere 
had  good  success.  My  meetings  are  crowded  and  enthu- 
siastic. But  on  the  whole  the  wind  this  year  is  adverse 
and  one  cannot  see  what  the  result  will  be  until  he  has 
the  count  before  him. 

Naturally  I  have  found  everywhere  many  of  my  old 
friends,  and  they  all  tell  me  that  so  far  from  having 
aged  I  look  younger  than  formerly.  From  this  you  can 
see  that  I  must  certainly  be  very  well.  I  have  indeed 
never  been  fresher  or  more  vigorous.  My  voice  is 
stronger  than  ever.  .  .  . 

When  I  arrived  here  I  received  your  short  letter 
from  Frankfort,  which  had  been  forwarded  to  me  from 
St.  Louis.  I  am  glad  to  know  that  you  succeeded  in 
securing  a  permanent,  quiet  place  in  Wiesbaden. 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  November  9, 1867 
At  last  I  am  again  sitting  quietly  and  securely  at  my 
writing-table.     My  letter  from  Milwaukee  must  have 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  413 

seemed  to  you  short  and  hurried,  but  I  was  so  be- 
leaguered that  I  could  not  possibly  command  a  quiet 
hour  for  writing.  You  know  how  it  goes  in  an  election 
campaign.  My  journey  in  Wisconsin  was  indeed  a 
pretty  strenuous  one,  yet  on  the  whole  quite  pleasant. 

I  was  in  Watertown  too.  When  I  reached  Fond  du 
Lac  I  found  a  letter  from  old  Uncle  Jacob,  who  urged 
me  strongly  to  stop  in  Watertown  with  him  on  my  way 
from  Portage  City  to  Janesville,  since  it  would  perhaps 
be  the  last  time  we  should  be  able  to  meet  there.  Of 
course  I  decided  to  go.  I  visited  him  the  very  next  day 
on  my  way  from  Fond  du  Lac  to  Portage  City,  re- 
mained two  hours  and  then  went  on.  The  following 
morning  I  left  Portage  City  at  two,  reached  Watertown 
at  five,  and  was  received  at  the  station  by  Uncle  carry- 
ing a  lantern.  I  found  my  room  in  the  house  heated, 
my  bed  for  a  morning  sleep  in  order,  and  there  made  up 
honestly  the  sleep  I  had  lost  during  the  night.  The  old 
people  were  very  happy.  Aunt  prepared  me  a  splendid 
breakfast  and  dinner,  and  so  we  enjoyed  ourselves 
greatly.    They  are  both  well. 

I  remained  there  until  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
and  was  accompanied  to  the  station  by  Uncle  and  Miller. 
I  saw  no  one  else  in  Watertown  except  the  brewer  B., 
whose  business  is  so  good  that  he  has  built  for  himself  a 
house  costing  ten  thousand  dollars.  Unquestionably 
Watertown  has  improved  much.  They  say  it  has  twelve 
thousand  inhabitants,  but  that  is  of  course  mere  boast- 
ing. There  is  much  building  (and  I  am  convinced  the 
place  would  become  important  if  there  were  a  better 
class  of  people  there).70     Twice  I  passed  through  the 

70  This  thrust  savors  of  an  attempt  at  self-justification.  Schurz  in 
1855  selected  Watertown  in  competition  with  Milwaukee  as  a  place  in 
which   to   make   himself   financially   independent.      He    hoped    to    do    this 


414  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

farm  on  the  Northwestern.  You  can  imagine  what 
pensive  thoughts  of  home  the  view  of  the  house  brought 
me,  and  what  recollections  arose  in  me.  An  American 
lives  there  now,  and  the  flower  beds  are  planted  to 
potatoes  and  onions. 

I  was  in  Milwaukee  from  Saturday  evening  until 
Tuesday  morning.  Monday  evening  I  had  the  largest 
and  most  enthusiastic  German  meeting  which  had  ever 
been  seen  in  Milwaukee.  Also,  I  have  never  spoken 
better.  I  am  now  beginning  to  find  the  right  tone  for 
extemporaneous  speaking,  a  tone  which  carries  an  au- 
dience along  irresistibly.  .  .  . 

Now  you  have  a  full  news  bulletin  from  Milwaukee. 
Milwaukee  has  improved  greatly.  The  population  is 
said  to  be  seventy-five  thousand.  There  is  an  extraordi- 
nary amount  of  building  and  of  a  very  high  order  of 
beauty.  Certain  portions  of  the  city  you  would  hardly 
recognize.  On  my  return  journey  I  visited  Tony  in  Chi- 
cago, as  I  had  also  done  on  my  way  out.  Both  times  I 
found  our  parents  there,  and  as  you  can  imagine  we  had 
some  very  enjoyable  hours.  Papa  and  Mama  are  both 
right  well.  .  .  . 

We  have  been  victorious  again  in  the  Wisconsin 
election,  with  a  somewhat  reduced  majority  but  yet 
sufficiently  decisive.  The  Republican  majority  in  the 
state  will  be  between  six  and  eight  thousand.  But  in 
New  York  we  were  badly  beaten;  also  in  New  Jersey, 
while  Massachusetts  and  Minnesota  remain  loyal  with 


through  a  real  estate  business,  of  which  the  principal  feature  was  the 
purchase  of  the  John  Jackson  farm  and  its  conversion  into  city  lots.  But 
he  had  miscalculated  the  city's  prospects,  just  then  inflated  because  it  was 
temporarily  a  railway  terminus.  He  agreed  to  an  excessive  price  for  the 
farm.  The  panic  of  1857  and  the  deflation  due  to  the  terminus  moving 
westward  left  him  stranded,  with  a  debt  he  could  not  pay;  and  in  Janu- 
ary, 1867,  the  farm  was  taken  from  him  on  a  judgment  in  foreclosure  of 
mortgage. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  415 

strong  majorities.  I  had  long  foreseen  the  defeat  in 
New  York.  It  was  brought  about  principally  by  the 
Sunday  law  and  the  corruption  of  the  last  legislature. 
In  Massachusetts  the  temperance  people  within  the 
Republican  party  have  suffered  a  decided  overthrow, 
which  together  with  the  backfire  against  the  Sunday 
law  in  New  York  will  have  the  effect  of  finally  putting 
an  end  to  both  of  these  things  which  have  already  given 
us  much  trouble. 

In  so  far  as  the  results  of  the  election  shall  free 
us  from  certain  encumbrances  which  heretofore  have 
constantly  irritated  us,  I  am  satisfied  with  it.  Our 
way  will  thereby  be  rendered  clearer  next  year,  and  the 
sense  of  danger  will  spur  the  Republicans  to  greater 
efforts.  At  the  moment,  however,  the  Democrats  are 
setting  up  a  tremendous  jubilation  and  President 
Johnson  is  growing  arrogant.  He  has  ordered  the 
dissolution  of  the  militia  companies  in  the  District  of 
Columbia,  Washington  and  its  environment,  because 
these  were  holding  with  Congress.  Whether  he  really 
has  in  mind  a  coup  d'etat  we  shall  have  to  see.  It  must 
be  decided  shortly  after  the  assembling  of  Congress. 
Whether  they  will  risk  impeachment  is  again  very  un- 
certain. I  hardly  think  they  will.  The  fall  elections 
have  given  Congress  much  else  to  think  about.  At  all 
events  they  will  have  to  go  to  work  with  utmost  pru- 
dence. There  is  so  much  at  stake  that  they  will  not 
want  to  risk  more  than  is  necessary.  I  consider  it  there- 
fore not  improbable  that  an  open  conflict  will  be  avoided, 
unless  Johnson  has  in  mind  a  deliberate  violation  of  law 
and  a  coup  d'etat.  .  .  . 

I  am  much  pleased  to  know  that  you  are  happily 
settled  in  Wiesbaden  and  I  do  not  doubt  you  will  make 


416  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

things  comfortable  for  yourself.  You  have  done  right 
to  set  up  a  small  establishment.  It  will  afford  you 
pleasant  activity  and  entertainment.  When  I  am  once 
there,  what  charming  times  we  shall  have!  .  .  .  Pree- 
torius  will  move  into  his  new  house  next  week.  I  wanted 
to  rent  a  place,  but  he  protested  most  energetically 
against  it.  .  .  .  He  said  that  a  room  in  the  new  house 
was  set  aside  especially  for  me. 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  November  15,  1867 
Before  my  departure  I  shall  have  to  spend  a  couple 
of  days  in  Washington.  Naturally  I  shall  provide  my- 
self with  a  passport.  You  think  nothing  more  will  be 
needed  and  that  we  shall  be  able  to  travel  about  quietly 
in  Prussia,  but  for  better  security  I  will  do  something 
more.  I  am  writing  today  a  letter  to  Bancroft  and  one 
to  Bucher  asking  that  they  secure  for  me,  from  the 
ministry,  unlimited  freedom  of  movement.  I  shall  ask 
them  to  send  their  reply  to  Hamburg  addressed  to  H.  C. 
Meyer,  Jr.,  so  that  I  may  find  it  there  on  my  arrival.  If 
you  are  then  in  Wiesbaden  I  shall  have  no  cause  to  delay 
and  can  go  right  on  in  order  to  be  with  you  at  all  events 
by  Christmas  Eve.  Be  so  good  as  to  advise  Adolf  or 
Henry  about  it,  so  that  the  letter  may  not  be  forwarded 
here  through  mistake.  .  .  .  When  I  am  engaged  in 
packing  it  seems  as  if  I  must  be  starting  tomorrow.  .  .  . 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

St.  Louis,  November  22,  1867 
I  shall  leave  here  next  week,  spend  a  couple  of  days 
in  Washington,  and  then  on  December  5  go  aboard  the 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  417 

America  bound  for  Europe  for  a  few  weeks'  visit  with 
my  family.  I  do  not  as  yet  know  how  long  I  shall  be 
in  New  York.  Possibly  I  may  arrive  on  Tuesday,  De- 
cember 3,  possibly  Wednesday  evening,  and  naturally 
want  very  much  to  see  you.  All  other  matters  I  shall 
save  until  then.  Do  not  premium  payments  become  due 
during  the  next  couple  of  months  ?  In  that  case,  may  I 
ask  you  to  have  the  notes  ready  for  me  to  sign?  For  the 
cash  payments  I  will  make  arrangements  here.  You 
will  find  me  at  the  Astor  House.  Greet  your  family 
heartily.    In  haste. 


To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  November  23,  1867 
I  have  taken  my  passage  on  the  America,  one  of  the 
best  ships  of  the  Bremen  line,  and  shall  sail  from  New 
York  on  the  fifth  of  December.  Probably  I  shall  touch 
German  soil  just  one  week  after  this  letter.  I  will  not 
undertake  to  describe  my  joy.  You  will  see  for  your- 
self when  I  arrive.  From  Bremen  I  shall  of  course  go 
direct  to  Hamburg  by  rail,  without  delaying  en  route. 
If  we  are  to  celebrate  Christmas  together  in  Wiesbaden 
I  shall  leave  Hamburg  at  once  and  shall  apparently 
have  more  than  time  enough  to  reach  Wiesbaden  before 
Christmas  Eve,  unless  the  Prussian  government  places 
difficulties  in  my  way.  I  have  written  to  Bancroft  and 
Bucher,  and  hope  to  find  letters  from  both  in  Hamburg 
giving  me  certainty  about  the  matter.  I  really  have 
little  desire  to  write  much,  for  I  already  see  myself  with 
you.  I  busy  myself,  aside  from  my  current  editorial 
labors,  with  nothing  except  preparations  for  the  jour- 
ney, and  my  thoughts  are  always  on  it.     However,  I 


418  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

have  been  to  the  theatre  three  times  lately  and  have 
seen  Edwin  Booth  as  Hamlet,  as  Richard  III,  and  as 
Iago  in  Othello.  He  deserves  his  fame.  Of  all  Ameri- 
can actors  I  have  seen  he  is  the  greatest.  His  Hamlet 
is  remarkable.  For  Richard  III  he  is  lacking  a  little 
in  the  power  of  a  commanding  personality.  But  his 
Iago  is  not  easy  to  beat.  It  approaches  perfection.  I 
distinctly  prefer  it  to  Hamlet.  But  why  describe  theat- 
rical doings?     I  can  tell  them  to  you  so  much  better. 


To  Henry  Meyer 

Wiesbaden,  January  9,  1868 
I  certainly  ought  to  have  written  to  you  earlier.  I 
well  realize  that  and  must  ask  a  thousand  pardons.  But 
you  know  how  it  is  when  one  has  not  seen  his  own  family 
for  a  long  time  and  then  is  with  them  once  more  for  a 
short  period.  Under  such  conditions  one  neglects  many 
things  for  which  he  must  later  reproach  himself.  But 
I  know  you  will  find  my  long  silence  excusable.  I 
count  upon  your  forbearance.  First  of  all,  let  me  thank 
you  for  the  beautiful  Christmas  gift.  .  .  . 

Our  Christmas  celebration  was  very  lively  and  joy- 
ful, so  that  the  sad  memories  which  accompanied  us — 
and  you  know  well  how  sad  they  are — were  always 
forced  into  the  background.  Aside  from  Adolf  and 
Marie,  Mathilde  and  Falke  with  the  children  and 
Therese  with  her  Hugh  were  here.  Only  you  and 
Amelia  were  missing,  but  we  thought  of  you  affection- 
ately. Now  it  is  quiet  here  once  more.  Adolf  is  about 
to  leave  and  we  shall  probably  go  too,  spending  several 
days  in  Weimar  with  Amalie,  and  in  Berlin.  Mar- 
garethe's  physical  condition,  which  at  first  did  not  suit 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  419 

me  very  well,  seems  nevertheless  to  be  somewhat  im- 
proved. Dr.  Genth,  a  well  and  favorably  known  phy- 
sician, expresses  the  hope  of  being  able  to  arrive  at 
the  cause  of  her  illness  through  a  summer  cure,  and  to 
send  her  back  to  me  next  fall  with  restored  health.  The 
children  are  as  well  and  as  good  as  I  could  wish  to  see 
them. 

I  shall  hardly  be  able  to  stay  much  longer  because 
my  presence  in  America  will  soon  be  required.  Next 
fall  we  have  the  presidential  election,  and  the  prepara- 
tions for  it  will  begin  promptly  in  the  spring.  The 
situation  of  affairs  has  become  very  difficult  and  it  will 
cost  the  Republican  party  much  pains  and  labor  to  bring 
the  campaign  to  a  fortunate  issue.  Naturally  I  shall 
have  to  take  part  in  it  and  be  on  the  ground  betimes. 
Also  my  newspaper  will  soon  make  demands  upon  me. 
I  have  finally,  after  long  and  varied  misfortunes  in  my 
financial  undertakings,  made  a  great  stroke  with  it  [the 
newspaper].  ...  It  is  an  old,  well-established  busi- 
ness which  goes  its  regular  gait  and  has  not  the  usual 
competition  to  fear,  as  an  experience  of  eleven  years 
shows ;  and  it  is  little  affected  by  changes  in  the  general 
business  situation.  So  I  have  well-grounded  prospects 
of  ultimately  clearing  away  all  my  difficulties.  .  .  . 

Since  in  all  probability  I  shall  go  back  to  America 
by  way  of  Hamburg,  I  hope  still  to  see  you  and  dear 
Amelia  before  my  departure,  to  rejoice  in  your  good 
fortune  and  to  thank  you  for  all  good  gifts. 

To  Adolf  Meyer 

Wiesbaden,  February  3,  1868 
Yesterday  we  were  finally  restored  to  our  quiet 
family  life.     We  left  Berlin  Saturday  evening  and 


420  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

came  through  without  change.  The  tour  was  indeed  a 
little  strenuous,  but  Margarethe  held  out  bravely  and  is 
feeling  very  well.  .  .  .  The  short  stay  in  Berlin  was  of 
incalculable  value  to  me.  I  could  not  have  regretted 
anything  more  than  the  fact  that  you  were  not  able  to 
stay  a  couple  of  days  longer.  Of  course  I  was  able  to 
see  almost  nothing  of  the  sights  in  Berlin  that  are  worthy 
of  being  seen,  except  the  worth-while  people ;  and  even 
of  these  I  could  see  not  nearly  so  many  as  I  ought  to 
have  seen.  I  should  have  required  at  least  two  weeks 
more  in  order  to  do  the  task  as  it  deserved.  Still  the 
single  week  which  was  vouchsafed  gave  me  quite  a  deep 
insight  into  the  state  of  affairs  here.  Naturally  I  came 
to  know  a  group  of  the  most  distinguished  members  of 
the  Chamber — but  to  my  deepest  regret  Schulze- 
Delitsch  escaped  me ;  and  you  will  have  learned  through 
the  papers  that  I  met  Bismarck.  It  came  about  at  his 
own  request.  He  sent  word  through  our  secretary  of 
legation,  Bucher,  that  he  wanted  to  see  me.  After  our 
first  meeting  he  invited  me  to  dinner,  on  which  occasion 
I  had  him  to  myself  almost  two  hours ;  and  afterwards  I 
saw  him  once  more. 

I  have  reason  to  believe  that  it  was  his  idea  in  the 
beginning  to  attract  me  into  the  Prussian  state  service. 
On  his  question  whether  I  designed  to  remain  in  Ger- 
many I  declared  without  hesitation  that  I  had  no  idea  of 
leaving  the  United  States.  What,  indeed,  could  he 
have  offered  which  would  have  answered  my  expecta- 
tions or  furthered  my  interests?  Otherwise  my  long 
and  rapid  conversation  with  Bismarck  was  of  extraordi- 
nary interest.  He  expressed  himself  with  complete 
frankness  on  all  possible  situations,  even  the  most  deli- 
cate, which  astounded  me;  and  he  displayed  a  knowl- 
edge of  men  and  conditions  which  I  have  not  found  in 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  421 

any  other  statesman  of  my  acquaintance.  When  one 
has  learned  to  know  Bismarck,  one  thing  becomes  quite 
clear.  When  this  force  which  clearly  knows  what  it 
wants — and  then  wills  with  its  whole  energy — meets 
another  force  that  does  not  clearly  know  what  it  wants 
and  which  lacks  unity  and  sustained  energy,  the  com- 
petition for  power  will  not  long  remain  doubtful.  Bis- 
marck is  an  individuality  strong  in  himself,  who  has  im- 
pressed upon  current  affairs,  against  all  parliamentary 
opposition,  the  stamp  of  his  superiority.  This  superior- 
ity as  against  the  Chamber  makes  itself  felt  particularly 
where  he  is  obviously  in  the  wrong ;  for  example,  in  the 
debate  over  the  endowment  of  the  dispossessed,  which 
we  see  going  on.  I  could  tell  you  very  interesting  things 
about  our  conversation  which  have  given  me  the  key  to 
many  a  matter  hitherto  dark.  Perhaps  I  shall  have  op- 
portunity to  do  so  before  my  return. 

During  the  last  days  of  our  stay  in  Berlin,  to  our 
great  delight  we  had  opportunity  to  become  acquainted 
with  Stockhausen  and  to  spend  some  time  with  the  two 
Misses  Toberentz.  We  were  with  them  at  the  Patti 
performance,  spent  Friday  evening  with  them,  and  on 
Saturday  just  before  our  departure  took  the  noon  meal 
with  them.  I  cannot  tell  you  how  much  pleasure  it  gave 
us.  With  them  one  feels  himself  in  a  charmed  atmos- 
phere. Stockhausen  made  a  very  agreeable  impression 
upon  me.  One  cannot  get  enough  of  his  voice.  I  truly 
hope  he  will  sometime  make  an  artist's  tour  of  America. 
Since  hearing  him  I  have  no  doubt  about  his  success. 
The  hours  passed  with  the  Toberentz  sisters  were  for 
me  hours  of  genuine  rest  and  reflection. 

All  in  all  our  journey  will  remain  unforgettable, 
and  I  only  regret  that  we  could  not  have  had  you  with 


422  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

us  throughout.  For  the  days  you  devoted  to  us  we  can- 
not sufficiently  thank  you.  I  only  wish  we  could  be 
something  to  you  sometime.    Now  to  business.  .  .  . 


To  Henry  Meyer 

Wiesbaden,  February  3,  1868 
Your  letter  reached  us  in  Berlin.  I  would  have 
answered  immediately,  but  the  calls  we  received  and  had 
to  make  left  me  so  little  leisure  that  I  could  hardly 
think  quietly,  much  less  write.  I  therefore  saved  all 
letters  for  quiet  Wiesbaden.  Yesterday  we  came  back 
here  to  our  children,  and  here  we  have  leisure  enough. 
.  .  .  Nothing  could  have  been  more  regrettable  to  me 
than  the  unfortunate  miscalculation  which  prevented 
our  meeting  in  Frankfort.  ...  It  pains  me  greatly 
that  I  was  unable  to  see  you  at  least  for  a  few  hours, 
even  though  at  that  time  I  could  not  join  you  in  the 
journey  to  Pesth,  because  Berlin  was  where  I  most 
wished  to  go.  .  .  . 

My  stay  in  Berlin  was  a  very  hectic  one.  I  naturally 
became  acquainted  with  a  multitude  of  distinguished 
persons  and  I  found  several  old  acquaintances  in  Par- 
liament. Adolf  had  but  just  left  us  when  I  received  a 
letter  from  one  of  the  subordinate  officers  of  the  foreign 
ministry  notifying  me  that  Bismarck  wished  to  see  me, 
and  if  agreeable  to  me  I  should  let  him  know.  Of  course 
I  did  it,  and  Bismarck  appointed  a  time  for  the  next 
evening.  I  went  and  had  an  hour-and-a-half  interview 
with  him.  He  invited  me  to  dinner  next  day,  where  I 
encountered  some  dozens  of  bestarred  and  becrossed 
private  counselors,  judicial  counselors,  and  other  coun- 
selors.   After  dinner  Bismarck  dismissed  the  company, 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  423 

except  me,  and  we  had  nearly  two  hours  together.  Fri- 
day evening  I  saw  him  again. 

You  can  imagine  how  interesting  this  was  to  me. 
In  a  few  hours  I  secured  a  deeper  insight  into  the  opera- 
tion of  the  government  machine  than  otherwise  could 
possibly  have  been  secured  even  with  long  study.  What- 
ever evil  characteristics  he  may  have,  Bismarck  is  at  all 
events  an  extraordinary  person.  I  have  seen  many 
statesmen,  but  none  who  speaks  his  mind  on  all  matters 
with  such  complete  freedom.  Facts  which  are  little 
or  not  at  all  known,  the  most  compromising  assertions 
concerning  the  motives  of  his  policies,  even  his  relations 
to  the  king  and  his  opinion  of  the  "old  gentleman,"  all 
of  this  flows  from  his  lips  as  freely  as  if  he  were  talking 
to  a  confidential  person  from  whom  the  rack  would  be 
unable  to  force  the  secret.  I  think  there  was  hardly  a 
Weighty  question  of  foreign  or  domestic  policy  about 
which  we  did  not  converse,  and  on  all  he  expressed  him- 
self with  the  same  freedom.  Naturally  I  cannot  here 
go  into  particulars.  I  could  talk  to  you  for  hours  about 
it,  and  it  would  convince  you  that  we  have  in  him  an 
extraordinary  brain  which  has  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  men  and  affairs,  especially  the  Germans,  their  weak- 
nesses and  bad  habits ;  and  whose  despotic  inclination  is 
strengthened  mainly  by  the  fact  that  he  so  far  sur- 
passes all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact.  I  shall  have 
much  to  say  to  you  about  this  matter  when  we  meet. 

Nothing  could  have  been  more  comical  than  my  ap- 
pearance at  the  ministerial  table.  Of  course  in  the  be- 
ginning nobody  knew  me,  nor  did  I  know  anyone. 
Afterwards,  when  we  were  just  ready  to  sit  down,  Bis- 
marck introduced  me  to  several  persons.  A  flutter  now 
went  round  the  table  and  the  astonishment  appeared  to 


424  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

be  great.  Steadily  the  old  and  the  young  perukes  be- 
came more  confidential  and  we  amused  ourselves  very 
well.  When  we  finally  gathered  in  the  salon  for  coffee 
and  cigars  I  became  the  center  of  quite  a  group.  Bis- 
marck himself  seemed  conscious  of  the  comical  situa- 
tion, for  when  he  had  dismissed  the  others  and  we  were 
alone  he  said:  "It  is  really  funny  that  we  sit  together 
here  so  peacefully  and  smoke  cigars.  Fifteen  years  ago 
neither  of  us  would  have  dreamed  of  it."  And  im- 
mediately after  this  he  expounded  to  me  his  policy  for 
the  future  of  Germany. 

In  Berlin  I  saw  so  many  people  that  I  really  saw 
nothing  else.  With  the  exception  of  the  synagogue,  a 
very  hasty  walk  through  the  museum,  a  little  ballet,  and 
one  opera,  I  really  did  not  get  around  to  anything.  I 
would  gladly  have  remained  a  couple  of  days  longer,  but 
we  were  both  anxious  to  get  back  to  the  children.  I  shall 
have  to  leave  everything  else  for  my  next  trip  to  Europe. 
At  most  I  shall  go  to  Cologne  for  a  day  and  see  a 
cousin  and  a  favorite  companion  of  my  youth.  I  hope 
that  later  you  and  I  may  make  a  journey  together. 


To  Gottfried  Kinkel 

Wiesbaden,  February  24,  1868 
About  ten  days  ago  I  heard  from  an  apparently 
trustworthy  source  that  you  were  to  come  to  Frankfort 
in  a  short  time,  on  which  occasion  I  hoped  to  see  you 
and  talk  with  you.  Now  I  hear  that  this  was  a  ground- 
less report.  The  matter  has  resulted  only  in  delaying 
my  writing  to  you.  How  gladly  I  would  have  sought 
you  out  in  Zurich,  but  I  was  unable  to  do  so.  Now  my 
departure  for  America  draws  near.    We  expect  to  go 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  425 

to  Hamburg  day  after  tomorrow,  and  I  sail  on  the 
steamer  Germania  from  thence  for  the  United  States 
on  March  4. 

I  know  that  I  have  been  owing  you  a  letter  for  a 
long  time  and  can  only  ask  your  friendly  indulgence. 
You  know  yourself  how  it  sometimes  is  about  letter 
writing  when  the  spheres  of  activity  lie  so  far  asunder 
and  one  is  excessively  busy.  Even  here  I  have  been  able 
to  breathe  freely  only  during  the  past  ten  days  and  to 
enjoy  the  quiet  of  my  home  life.  So  I  hope  you  will 
forgive  me. 

Through  my  wife  I  have  the  most  favorable  reports 
about  you,  your  family,  and  your  situation.  With 
modest  pretensions  I  also  can  report  favorably  after  the 
many  struggles  through  which  I  have  passed.  My  ac- 
tivity in  America  goes  pretty  far  beyond  my  immediate 
business,  and  I  have  opportunity  not  infrequently  to 
make  myself  useful.  The  temptation  to  return  to  the 
old  fatherland  has  this  time  been  particularly  enticing. 
But  I  cannot  decide  to  do  so ;  not  that  I  hold  the  present 
situation  of  affairs  to  be  incapable  of  development.  I 
am  glad  to  learn  that  you  see  many  a  hopeful  germ  in 
recent  occurrences.  But  I  have  already  struck  root 
deeply  in  America.  The  activities  of  my  best  mature 
years  have  identified  me  with  the  reform  movements 
there,  and  I  cannot  leave  the  ranks  of  the  fighters  while 
so  much  still  remains  to  be  done  to  which  I  can  con- 
tribute. Besides,  with  my  views  and  my  manner  of 
working,  I  should  not  feel  at  home  here.  In  America 
we  can  see  promptly  the  results  of  a  wise  and  energetic 
effort.  Here  one  has  to  have  more  patience  than  I  can 
trust  myself  to  manifest,  and  this  defect,  I  fear,  would 
hamper  activity. 


426  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

You  have  doubtless  heard  that  I  had  several  long 
conversations  with  Bismarck  in  Berlin.  He  received  me 
in  the  kindest  manner.  He  is  unquestionably  a  very 
able  man.  Although  his  antecedents  are  not  pleasing, 
one  may  still  gather  hope  from  the  circumstance  that 
he  is  one  of  those  energetic,  impulsive  characters  whose 
acts,  when  they  are  once  engaged,  extend  beyond  their 
original  plans.  In  his  efforts  at  unification  he  will  go 
straight  ahead,  and  unless  I  am  mistaken  he  will  under- 
mine the  bureaucracy  because  it  is  too  ossified  and  too 
stupid  to  be  a  sufficiently  flexible  and  effective  instru- 
ment of  his  plans.  These  are  two  important  things. 
Perhaps  the  feudal  ideas  inculcated  in  him  persist.  That 
is  not  so  very  dangerous,  for  in  our  industrial  age  the 
attempt  to  bring  about  a  feudal  reaction  would  be 
merely  quixotic.  He  has  been  considered  a  frivolous 
person.  According  to  my  opinion  he  is  not  that,  or,  if 
he  has  been,  he  is  so  no  longer.  For  the  rest,  the  Prus- 
sians seem  so  instinctively  and  universally  to  feel  the 
necessity  of  having  this  man  at  the  head  of  the  govern- 
ment, that  with  the  exception  of  a  few  individuals  no  one 
of  the  existing  parties  would  assume  the  responsibility 
of  deposing  him. 

In  America  conditions  are  a  little  confused.  But 
after  effecting  such  a  great  social  revolution  as  the  eman- 
cipation of  the  slaves,  one  cannot  expect  to  bring  about 
a  perfect  calming  of  the  waters  the  very  next  day.  The 
presidential  election  this  fall  will  materially  aid  to  clear 
up  the  situation. 

Shall  I  hear  from  you  soon  again?  My  wife  and  the 
children  unite  with  me  in  heartiest  greetings  to  you  all. 
In  the  old  loyal  friendship.  ...  I  was  in  Spandau  and 
saw  some  of  the  old  friends  again.  We  had  several  de- 
lightful hours.    All  are  getting  along  well. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  427 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

Hamburg,  March  1,  1868 
Before  my  departure  from  America  I  promised  to 
let  you  know  in  advance  on  what  ship  I  would  return 
to  New  York.  This  promise  two  words  will  now  fulfill. 
I  am  leaving  from  here  March  4  on  the  Hamburg 
steamer  Germania,  and  will  thus  probably  be  in  New 
York  on  the  sixteenth  or  seventeenth  and  will  go  to  the 
Astor  House  immediately  upon  my  arrival.  Shall  I  see 
you  there?    With  hearty  greeting. 


To  His  Wife 

On  Board  the  Germania,  March  5,  1868 
Let  me  send  you  one  more  greeting  before  I  leave 
the  soil  of  Europe.  We  have  now  been  on  the  way  a 
day  and  a  half,  hope  to  reach  the  Channel  tonight,  and 
to  be  in  Southampton  tomorrow  morning.  It  has  rained 
and  blown  practically  all  morning,  so  that  the  sea  is  agi- 
tated and  the  ship  rolls  in  lively  fashion.  Consequently 
I  cannot  write  with  great  comfort.  But  it  is  growing 
lighter,  the  wind  is  falling,  and  the  sea  is  becoming 
quieter.  .  .  . 

Hard  as  it  is  to  be  separated  from  you  and  the  chil- 
dren some  months  longer,  I  yet  take  my  leave  with  a 
feeling  of  great  satisfaction.  What  a  delightful  time 
we  had  together!  How  many  hours  of  genuine  happi- 
ness! How  splendid  our  children  were!  What  love 
was  shown  us  by  the  brothers  and  sisters!  And  with 
what  well-grounded  hopes  I  now  go  forth  after  seeing 
your  old  doctor !  It  was  an  actual  ray  of  sunshine,  and 
though  such  days  come  only  now  and  then,  we  still  have 


428  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

light  and  warmth  enough  for  many  which  have  gone 
before  and  which  may  follow  them.  Let  us  be  thankful 
for  them  and  not  let  our  reflections  be  troubled  by  the 
complaint  that  they  were  so  short.  Have  we  not  reason 
to  look  more  cheerfully  toward  the  future  ?  May  we  not 
hope  to  be  more  free  and  to  sweeten  our  labor  now  and 
then  with  self -elected  pleasures  ?  And  how  many  hands 
are  extended  to  us  with  warmest  affection!  Surely 
we  should  look  to  the  future  in  a  contented  mood,  and 
not  complain  too  much  about  the  few  bitter  drops  which 
flow  into  the  goblet  of  life  now  and  then. 

You  were  quite  cheerful  when  we  separated;  do  re- 
main so.  If  you  sometimes  feel  lonesome,  fill  your 
lonesomeness  with  hopes  and  pleasant  memories  instead 
of  with  dark  images  of  possible  evil.  Your  physical 
cure  will  be  much  prompter  and  more  complete  if  your 
mind  keeps  itself  free  and  healthy.  Let  me  feel  when  at 
my  work,  to  which  I  shall  now  have  to  give  myself  and 
which  perhaps  will  be  somewhat  strenuous,  that  you  are 
living  and  working  cheerfully  alongside  of  me.  You 
do  not  know  how  much  that  will  mean  to  me.  .  .  .  Now 
farewell.    Greet  all  heartily. 


To  His  Wife 

New  York,  March  20,  1808 
At  last  I  am  here.  The  Germania  reached  her  dock 
at  five  o'clock  this  evening.  Between  Hamburg  and 
Southampton  we  already  had  unpleasant  weather,  but 
hardly  had  we  left  Cowes  when  a  very  bad  wind  began 
blowing  from  the  west  directly  against  us,  and  so  con- 
tinued for  almost  nine  days  and  nights  without  inter- 
mission.   It  was  indeed  not  quite  so  bad  as  we  experi- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  429 

enced  in  January,  1862,  but  sometimes  there  was  not 
much  difference.  The  sea  which  opposed  us  was  colossal 
and  the  vessel  labored  through  it  with  great  difficulty. 
On  the  ninth  day  our  voyage  was  hardly  half  completed, 
but  on  the  tenth  day  the  weather  suddenly  changed  and 
we  shot  forward  on  a  quite  sea  with  great  rapidity.  The 
Germania  is  a  splendid  ship ;  I  believe  there  is  not  one 
afloat  which  in  the  heaviest  weather  would  be  safer  or 
steadier.  I  would  entrust  myself  to  it  at  any  time  of 
year.  Our  voyage  from  the  Needles  to  Hoboken  lasted 
thirteen  days  and  twenty  hours. 

How  splendidly  my  good  seaman's  qualities  served 
me!  I  had  always  my  godly  appetite,  which  made  me 
look  forward  with  eagerness  to  every  meal.  And  sleep ! 
I  slept  like  a  dachshund.  In  Southhampton  we  received 
on  board  the  cabin  passengers  of  the  Hammonia,  which 
as  you  have  probably  heard  broke  its  screw  in  the 
middle  of  the  ocean  and  was  forced  back  to  Southamp- 
ton by  opposing  winds.  So  the  cabins,  if  not  full, 
were  at  any  rate  pretty  well  occupied.  Of  course,  I  re- 
tained my  cabin  wholly  for  myself  alone.  Naturally 
also  we  saw  little  of  our  company  during  the  period  of 
storm,  but  when  quiet  came  it  appeared  we  had  some 
very  pleasant  people  among  them.  During  the  voyage 
I  read  much  and  wrote  my  letter  about  Bismarck,  which 
I  believe  was  very  good.  On  my  arrival  here  I  received 
today's  Tribune  in  which,  translated  into  English,  was 
given  back  to  me  a  long  piece  of  my  last  correspondence 
concerning  the  Chamber  and  the  King  of  Prussia.  .  .  . 

The  impeachment  goes  along  slowly.  The  whole 
Republican  party  is  now  united  in  favor  of  the  measure. 
We  have  gained  a  victory  in  the  New  Hampshire  elec- 
tion, which  naturally  makes  a  very  favorable  impres- 
sion on  the  party.  .  .  . 


430  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

Our  ship  had  hardly  reached  the  haven  before  it  set 
in  to  storm  and  snow  again.  The  snow  now  lies  several 
inches  deep.    God  be  thanked  that  we  are  here! 

This  letter  will  probably  find  you  back  in  your  peace- 
ful home  in  Wiesbaden.  We  enjoyed  some  beautiful 
days  together,  did  we  not,  my  dearest  ?  And  why  should 
not  similar  days  come  to  us  frequently?  Have  we  not 
every  reason  to  look  toward  the  future  with  confidence 
and  good  cheer?  How  many  hours  on  shipboard,  with 
waking  eyes,  did  I  not  dream  of  you  and  the  children; 
and  I  thought  out  so  many  lovely  plans !  Have  courage 
and  we  shall  be  very  happy.  Now  adieu.  From  weari- 
ness my  eyelids  are  drooping,  and  the  letter  must  go 
in  the  morning  in  order  to  give  you  notice  as  soon  as 
possible  of  my  arrival.  In  my  thoughts  I  kiss  you  and 
the  children  a  thousand  times.  Think  of  me  with  the 
old  love,  as  I  do  of  you.    Greet  all. 

To  Theodore  Petrasch 

New  Haven,  March  25,  1868 
They  have  loaded  upon  me  here  one  more  meeting 
than  originally  had  been  planned.  In  consequence,  I 
shall  not  come  to  New  York  Friday,  but  Saturday.  I 
do  not  yet  know  whether  I  shall  go  to  the  Fifth  Avenue 
Hotel.  In  any  event  I  shall  go  to  Kapp's  house  at 
twelve  o'clock  noon  and  you  will  most  surely  find  me 
there. 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  March  29,  1868 
Greatly  as  many  things  in  Germany  pleased  me  I 
am  bound  to  say  that  this  country  seems  home  to  me. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  431 

How  fresh  and  hearty  life  is  here  and  how  one  feels  at 
every  step  that  he  can  accomplish  something!  This  is 
a  great  cause.  You  recall  that  I  described  to  you  the 
political  situation  which  I  left  here  in  December  as  very 
unsatisfactory  and  even  doubtful.  All  of  our  friends  at 
that  time  felt  depressed  and  it  was  believed  that  only 
with  the  most  strenuous  exertions  could  the  Republican 
party  guarantee  its  success  in  the  presidential  election. 
That  situation  has  suddenly  become  quite  different.  I 
have  rarely  seen  so  quick  and  complete  a  change.  Every- 
thing now  is  hopeful.  .  .  . 

In  Connecticut,  where  the  campaign  of  the  Republi- 
cans is  being  carried  on  with  great  eagerness,  the  Demo- 
crats are  hardly  stirring  at  all,  and  everywhere  their 
heads  are  drooping.  Tomorrow  the  real  "trial"  of  the 
President  begins.  Butler  will  make  the  first  speech  for 
the  prosecution,  which  I  shall  hear.  In  two,  or  at  most 
three,  weeks  it  is  thought  the  whole  business  will  be 
finished,  and  I  cannot  see  what  good  end  a  longer  pro- 
traction would  serve.  The  conviction  of  Johnson  is  cer- 
tain and  I  am  convinced  that  his  removal  would  have  a 
very  wholesome  effect.  There  are  still  rumors  that  he 
intends  to  resist.  But  since  the  army  is  in  Grant's  hands 
an  attempt  of  that  kind  would  be  truly  childish.  I  do 
not  believe  it.  Even  if  Johnson  has  had  such  ideas  he 
certainly  would  be  deterred  from  this  step,  which  with 
a  turn  of  the  hand  might  bring  him  under  the  knife.  .  .  . 


To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  April  4,  1868 
I  arrived  here  yesterday  morning  after  a  wearisome 
railway  journey.  .  .  .  About  ten  o'clock  I  went  to  the 


432  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

office  and  was  received  with  genuine  pleasure  by  all. 
That  did  me  much  good.  .  .  .  Preetorius  especially  re- 
ceived me  with  the  most  friendly  heartiness.  .  .  . 

I  began  writing  for  the  paper  again  yesterday. 
Today — on  Saturday  I  never  have  much  to  do — I  spent 
in  answering  a  mountain  of  letters  which  had  piled  up 
on  my  writing-desk  during  my  long  absence.  Consider- 
able time  was  also  wasted  in  handshaking,  for  my 
"friends"  came  one  after  another  to  pay  their  respects. 
I  can  inject  here  one  good  piece  of  news.  Despite  the 
fact  that  all  about  us  there  are  complaints  of  bad  times, 
our  business  has  gone  on  splendidly.  .  .  . 

The  political  world  here  is  naturally  kept  breath- 
less over  the  impeachment  of  Johnson.  Possibly  you 
may  have  received  the  results  of  the  trial  before  this 
will  reach  you.  Last  Monday  I  heard  the  opening 
speech  of  General  Butler,  with  which  the  prosecution 
began.  What  an  opportunity  that  would  have  been 
for  a  great  orator — an  opportunity  such  as  will  not  come 
again  in  generations!  .  .  . 

The  material  would  have  been  so  potent  for  one  who 
knew  how  to  utilize  it  not  only  as  jurist  but  also  as 
statesman  and  citizen  of  this  republic.  Butler  made  a 
commonplace  lawyer's  speech  out  of  it,  strong  in  its 
arguments  to  be  sure,  but  without  any  higher  implica- 
tions— about  such  a  speech  as  has  been  heard  a  hundred 
times  before  the  higher  courts  in  important  criminal 
cases.  I  sat  there  filled  with  impatience  over  the  lost 
opportunity,  which  demanded  a  great  effort,  while  But- 
ler labored  one  point  after  another  with  uniform  aridity. 
It  is  to  be  hoped  that  Bingham  and  Boutwell,  whose 
speeches  will  bring  the  trial  to  a  close,  may  understand 
how  to  give  the  case  a  higher  sanction. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  433 

I  think  I  told  you  in  my  last  letter  that  so  far  as 
the  popular  mind  is  concerned  a  complete  change  has 
occurred.  Everything  goes  along  peacefully  and  we  al- 
ready look  upon  the  result  of  the  presidential  election  as 
certain.  Grant's  nomination,  unless  signs  and  wonders 
occur,  is  assured.  There  is  really  no  serious  opposition 
longer  and  the  other  candidates  have  quietly  withdrawn 
— even  Chase,  although  he  hoped  the  impossible  to  the 
last  and  resents  the  preference  of  a  new  man  as  against 
an  old  antislavery  leader.  I  pity  Chase  truly,  but  noth- 
ing can  be  done  for  him.  He  has  an  unhappy  way  of 
too  plainly  exhibiting  his  presidential  aspirations,  so 
that  those  who  really  mean  well  by  him  are  denied  the 
privilege  of  warming  up  to  him.  I  fear  he  will  have  to 
spend  his  days  in  his  judicial  chair,  like  a  wounded  lion. 
His  position  of  chief  justice,  which  to  another  would 
be  the  fulfillment  of  highest  ambition,  merely  makes 
him  a  martyr.  The  presidential  fever  is  a  deadly 
malady.  And  now  enough  of  politics.  .  .  . 


To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  April  12,  1868 
I  have  again  worked  myself  into  the  situation  and 
things  are  as  I  could  wish,  at  least  so  far  as  my  private 
concerns  go.  The  elections,  however,  have  not  gone 
according  to  the  indications  I  observed  on  my  arrival 
in  the  country.  .  .  . 

In  one  respect  I  am  very  well  satisfied  with  the  out- 
come of  the  spring  elections.  While  they  do  not  in  any- 
way lessen  our  chances  of  victory,  yet  on  the  other  hand 
they  show  that  we  must  work  for  it  and  that  the  mere 
nomination  of  Grant,  which  is  expected  on  all  hands,  will 


434  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

not  suffice  to  make  it  absolutely  sure.  We  shall  have  an 
active  campaign,  and  that  is  exactly  what  I  want. 
Nothing  could  be  more  dangerous  to  the  party  than  lazy 
self-confidence.  The  impeachment  will  probably  come 
to  an  end  in  eight  or  ten  days  and  you  will  have  the  re- 
sult before  these  lines  reach  you.  I  hope  we  shall  then 
have  a  Republican  administration  once  more  and  go 
forward  under  full  sail.  ...  I  am  already  beginning 
the  preliminary  preparations  for  my  forthcoming  cam- 
paign speech.  I  have  several  excellent  ideas  which  can 
be  worked  out  very  nicely  if  the  newspaper  work  does 
not  split  me  up  too  much.  .  .  . 


To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  May  11,  1868 
Tomorrow  the  vote  on  the  impeachment  charges  will 
occur  in  Washington.  It  will  be  a  decisive  day  and  we 
look  forward  to  the  result  with  throbbing  hearts.  Last 
week  all  kinds  of  disquieting  rumors  were  sent  out  about 
the  desertion  of  several  Republican  Senators,  but  most 
of  these  appear  to  be  unfounded.  For  several  days 
those  who  desire  Johnson's  conviction  have  been  much 
more  confident.  On  the  whole  the  trial  was  conducted 
in  a  very  weak  manner  on  the  side  of  the  prosecution,  at 
least  so  far  as  the  arguments  went.  Bingham's  speech 
alone  was  in  any  way  adequate.  But  even  it  was  not 
what  could  have  been  desired  on  so  great  an  occasion. 
There  are  so  few  American  speakers  who  have  learned 
that  the  greatest  effect  will  be  produced  by  illuminating, 
simple  strength  and  not  by  rankly  abundant  speech. 
Fortunately  the  case  of  the  prosecution  was  so  strong  as 
to  compensate  for  the  defects  in  its  presentation.     In 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  435 

forty  hours  we  shall  know  the  final  result.    Let  us  hope 
for  the  best. 

Yesterday  we  celebrated  the  anniversary  of  the  cap- 
ture of  Fort  Jackson.  All  the  Germans  were  in  Union 
Park,  with  wives  and  families;  the  German  section  of 
the  city  was  covered  with  flags  and  we  rejoiced  once 
more  in  a  demonstration  of  patriotism.  Of  course  I  was 
again  required  to  "glorify"  the  celebration  with  a  speech 
and  I  did  it  with  all  brevity  but  with  good  success.  You 
will  remember  that  I  had  to  drink  the  same  bitter  cup 
last  year.  While  appreciable  gaps  have  been  made  in  the 
ranks  of  the  German  Republicans  in  other  states,  here 
the  German  column  still  stands  fast  and  I  hope  it  will 
remain  so  until  the  results  of  the  war  shall  have  been 
guaranteed.  This  fall  we  shall  have  to  fight  through 
the  negro  suffrage  matter,  and  on  this  question  there  are 
still  many  prejudices  to  overcome  among  the  Germans. 
But  we  shall  make  a  strong  attempt,  and  as  I  hope  not 
in  vain. 


To  His  Daughter  Agathe 

St.  Louis,  May  24,  1868 
I  have  rejoiced  heartily  over  your  letter.  It  is  in- 
telligent, in  correct  style,  and  I  find  no  extravagant 
expressions  in  it.  I  now  believe  that  you  will  learn  to 
write  very  well  if  you  keep  on  in  the  same  way.  Let  me 
give  you  a  principal  rule:  One  should  write  precisely 
as  he  thinks  and  express  fittingly  what  he  wants  to  say. 
One  must  not  admit  any  artfulness  of  expression  nor 
use  figures  of  speech,  particularly  adjectives,  without 
knowing  exactly  what  is  intended  to  be  expressed 
thereby.    One  must  not  involve  sentences  too  much  but 


436  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

arrange  his  thoughts  simply,  one  after  another,  just  as 
they  naturally  follow  one  another.  That  is  the  whole 
art  of  style.  The  simplest  and  clearest  is  always  the 
most  effective  and  best.  Young  persons  always  try  to 
express  beauty  in  high-flown  superlatives.  They  think 
it  sounds  well,  but  what  signifies  a  good  sound  if  what 
one  has  to  say  doesn't  mean  anything?  By  the  way, 
that  is  a  stage  of  diseased  taste  which  almost  everybody 
has  to  pass  through.  It  does  not  do  much  harm  provided 
one  gets  done  with  it  promptly.  Having  once  catered  to 
a  false  taste  and  gained  a  better  one,  one  needs  to  be 
careful  not  to  fall  back  into  the  old  errors.  If  you  de- 
velop your  present  manner  of  writing  you  will  save 
yourself  this  transition  period,  which  would  be  much 
better.  Do  write  me  frequently,  every  week  or  every 
two  weeks,  about  what  goes  on  around  you,  and  I  will 
give  you  other  hints  from  time  to  time. 

With  me,  my  dear  child,  everything  is  as  well  as  it 
can  be  in  your  absence.  I  was  in  Chicago  this  week  as 
delegate  to  the  national  convention.  Now  the  presiden- 
tial campaign  begins,  which  will  give  me  plenty  to  do. 
But  I  cannot  tell  you  how  I  long  for  the  time  when  I 
shall  have  you  all  with  me  again.  Without  you  there  is 
only  half  a  life.  I  hope  you  will  do  all  you  can  to  cheer 
Mama  and  advance  her  cure.  You  know  how  greatly 
her  condition  depends  on  her  surroundings,  and  you 
have  become  wise  enough  to  understand  how  much  in- 
fluence the  conduct  of  children  has  upon  the  sensibilities 
of  a  mother.    Adieu,  my  Handy. 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  May  24,  1868 
At  last  I  am  in  peace  again.    I  returned  yesterday 
from  the  Chicago  convention,  the  results  of  which  you 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  437 

have  undoubtedly  learned  already,  through  the  tele- 
graph. The  business  went  off  very  well.  I  had  a  little 
triumph  there  too.  They  made  me  temporary  chairman. 
I  opened  the  convention  with  a  short  speech  which 
pleased  so  extraordinarily  well  that  I  was  almost  smoth- 
ered with  congratulations.  The  newspapers  are  full  of 
praise.  I  also  presented  a  couple  of  supplementary 
resolutions  which  were  accepted  with  the  greatest 
unanimity  and  brought  me  almost  as  much  recognition 
as  the  resolutions  themselves.  The  convention  was  held 
in  Crosby's  Opera  House  and  presented  a  very  impres- 
sive spectacle.  The  city  was  so  full  of  strangers  that 
at  certain  times  one  could  hardly  get  through  the  main 
streets.  At  first  the  whole  affair  was  a  bit  tame,  but 
the  enthusiasm  rose  little  by  little.  When  the  nomina- 
tion of  Grant  was  completed,  after  the  call  of  the  states, 
the  whole  great  assembly  broke  into  never  ending  ap- 
plause. The  scene  was  so  moving  that  one  of  the  Prus- 
sian ministerial  secretaries,  Von  K — ,  who  was  present 
and  who  wrote  me  his  impressions,  found  the  tears 
streaming  down  his  cheeks.  The  election  of  Colfax 
also  aroused  much  enthusiasm.  Along  with  most  of  the 
Missouri  delegation  I  voted  for  Wade,  although  I  soon 
became  convinced  that  he  could  not  be  nominated.  We 
had  to  give  him  a  large  vote  on  account  of  his  peculiar 
position  in  the  impeachment  trial.  Colfax  is  a  very 
popular  man  and  on  that  account  a  strong  candidate. 
His  abilities  are  not  distinguished  but  are  just  sufficient 
to  make  him  acceptable  to  the  masses.  They  are  fond 
of  happy  mediocrity. 

On  the  whole  I  think,  if  good  work  is  done,  we  can 
be  pretty  sure  of  success.  Something,  it  is  true,  depends 
on  what  kind  of  candidates  the  Democratic  party  will 


438  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

nominate  July  4.  If  an  extreme  Copperhead  is  chosen 
the  game  will  be  easy  for  us.  But  if  a  man  like  General 
Hancock  shall  be  nominated  we  shall  have  to  work  very 
hard.  Nevertheless  I  think  that  even  in  that  case  the 
old  forces  can  be  led  to  victory  once  more. 

In  Washington  people  are  still  deceiving  themselves 
with  the  thought  that  the  impeachment  can  be  effected 
after  all.  I  do  not  believe  it.  Indeed  I  fear  the  matter 
will  endanger  us  if  it  is  dragged  out  much  longer.  They 
think  proof  has  been  found  that  Ross  of  Kansas,  one  of 
the  Senators  who  voted  for  acquittal,  allowed  himself 
to  be  bribed,  and  as  I  understand  the  circumstances  the 
thing  does  not  seem  improbable.71  Could  it  be  proved 
by  wholly  incontrovertible  evidence,  that  would  surely 
be  of  the  highest  importance.  Otherwise  they  would 
probably  do  better  to  let  the  whole  trial  drop  overboard 
and  devote  themselves  unreservedly  to  the  election  con- 
test. 

You  see  I  am  head  over  ears  in  politics  again  and  I 
am  already  being  overwhelmed  with  invitations  to  meet- 
ings, especially  since  the  role  that  was  assigned  me  in 
the  convention  has  brought  me  once  more  prominently 
into  the  foreground.  .  .  .  Uncle  Jacob  and  Papa  were 
in  Chicago  during  the  convention.  Both  were  pleased 
with  what  went  on,  each  in  his  own  way.  Papa  is  quite 
well.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Lafayette,  Indiana,  August  2,  1868 
From  the  date  of  this  letter  you  will  see  that  I  am 
in  the  midst  of  the  campaign.     I  left  St.  Louis  last 

71  This  was  one  of  the  partisan  rumors  for  which  there  was  no  founda- 
tion in  fact. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  439 

Wednesday,  spoke  in  Bloomington,  Illinois,  in  the 
evening;  spent  Thursday  in  Chicago  with  Tony  and 
Mama;  spoke  Friday  evening  in  Indianapolis,  and  last 
night  here.  Today  I  succeeded  in  keeping  my  enthu- 
siastic friends  away  for  several  hours.  Oh,  the  whole 
business  is  on  once  more:  ceremonial  receptions  at  the 
stations,  processions,  serenades,  and  this  frightful 
noise,  which  in  1860  was  already  so  hateful  to  me,  and 
which  now  again  follows  me  even  into  my  dreams.  In 
Bloomington  my  friends  thought  they  ought  to  do  some- 
thing special  for  me.  So,  secretly,  they  telegraphed  to 
Mr.  Olshausen  asking  what  kind  of  wine  I  preferred — 
just  imagine — and  when  I  came  to  my  hotel  I  found 
in  my  room  an  entire  case  of  bottles  of  fine  Rhenish 
wine  together  with  boxes  of  cigars,  etc.  I,  poor  man, 
was  to  help  drink  all  of  this,  but  at  last  I  had  to  call  in 
my  German  brothers  to  assist,  which  they  did,  and  before 
I  left  at  midnight  the  bottles  were  actually  empty.  And 
the  serenades!  The  meeting  was  German,  but  the 
Americans  insisted  that  I  speak  in  English  for  a  few 
minutes  from  the  hotel  balcony.  I  finally  succumbed 
to  my  fate  and  agreed.  When  I  had  finished  and  re- 
turned to  my  chamber,  imagine  my  fright — for,  while 
the  "brass  band"  was  still  working  away  madly  with 
tremendous  noise  out  in  the  street,  a  Mannerchor  sud- 
denly cut  loose  on  the  gallery  in  front  of  my  chamber 
door.  The  good  Germans  had  written  a  poem  about  me 
and  set  it  to  music,  in  which  I  was  described  as  God 
knows  what  kind  of  hero  and  champion  of  liberty  in 
two  hemispheres,  and  this  hymn  was  being  chanted  be- 
fore my  door  by  the  Mannerchor,  whose  tenors  tortured 
their  voices  into  a  ghastly  falsetto.  I  finally  took  myself 
in  hand,  stepped  out  among  the  terrifying  singers,  told 


440  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

them  how  deeply  I  was  touched,  and  asked  them  to  enter 
and  carouse  over  the  remainder  of  my  gift  wine.  They 
did  so ;  but  I  was  not  to  get  off  so  easily,  for  afterwards 
the  worthy  singers  bade  me  a  good-night  tunefully. 

To  cap  the  climax,  I  had  with  me  a  doctor  who  had 
back-slidden  from  the  Republican  party  and  whom  I 
had  reconverted  by  my  speech ;  and  who  was  explaining 
the  whole  matter  to  me  mid  continual  sniffling,  weeping, 
and  handshaking.  Oh,  a  man  can  endure  unbelievable 
things!  I  felt  that  once  more  when  I  stretched  out  on 
my  bed  in  the  sleeping-car,  became  oblivious  to  my 
frightful  popularity,  and  rolled  quietly  into  Chicago. 
But  so  it  goes  all  the  time.  In  Indianapolis  I  had  to 
endure  a  torchlight  procession,  and  here  they  had  a 
ceremonial  reception  at  the  station,  with  music  and  a 
feast.  God  be  thanked,  the  beginning  has  been  made 
and  my  nerves  are  becoming  steeled  to  it  again.  But 
if  this  thing  continues  I  shall  once  more  send  the  com- 
mittees my  edict  against  serenades  and  big  noises. 

Here  the  campaign  is  in  good  swing.  I  would  not 
have  gone  into  it  in  this  manner  were  it  not  so  important 
for  us  to  carry,  with  good  majorities,  the  state  elections 
in  Indiana  and  Pennsylvania,  which  occur  in  October. 
If  we  do  that,  we  shall  be  quite  certain  of  the  result  of 
the  presidential  election.  If  we  fail  in  that,  the  whole 
business  will  be  doubtful.  The  signs  of  the  times  are 
indeed  favorable,  but  the  results  of  the  spring  elections 
taught  us  not  to  place  too  much  reliance  on  appearances. 
It  requires  steady,  energetic  work  to  change  good  pros- 
pects into  certainties.  So  I  put  my  shoulder  to  the 
wheel  once  more.  .  .  . 

This  week  I  had  a  very  pressing  invitation  from 
Grow,  former  speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives, 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  441 

whose  sister  you  like  so  much.  Grow  is  now  chairman 
of  the  state  central  committee  of  Pennsylvania  and  he 
begged  me  most  pressingly  to  speak  there  at  eight  or 
ten  meetings.  I  have  consented  and  will  go  there  after 
filling  my  engagements  here.  Probably,  on  the  same 
trip  I  may  give  a  great  speech  in  New  York.  Then,  in 
the  first  or  second  week  of  September,  I  hope  to  be  in  the 
West  again  and  spend  the  last  month  of  the  campaign 
in  Missouri. 

Do  not  be  angry  with  me  for  assuming  so  much  work. 
I  have  already  for  twelve  years  fought  for  the  good 
cause  according  to  my  strength.  I  must  not  and  cannot 
let  anything  stand  in  the  way  of  a  last  great  effort  which 
will  bring  the  work  to  completion  and  guarantee  us 
against  a  reaction.  If  we  are  victorious  now,  it  will  be 
the  final  act  of  the  great  drama  and  we  shall  enter  upon 
a  period  of  quiet,  peaceful  development.  Here  is  a  sec- 
tion of  my  life  work  which  I  cannot  leave  unfulfilled 
without  being  untrue  to  myself. 

Keep  well  and  cheerful,  and  improve  the  fine  days. 


To  His  Wife 

Madison,,  Indiana,  August  9,  1868 
This  letter  will  probably  arrive  by  your  birthday; 
at  least,  so  I  calculate.  And  here  I  sit  in  a  pleasant 
little  town  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  in  Indiana,  and  my 
thoughts  are  all  with  you.  They  have  been  so  for  several 
days.  I  wanted  to  make  a  poem  for  you  on  your  birth- 
day— but  God  knows  the  rhymes  will  no  longer  come 
properly.  Also,  the  poetical  efforts  were  constantly 
crossed  by  all  kinds  of  prosaic  matters — Grant  and  Sey- 
mour, reconstruction,  the  national  debt,  the  greenback 


442  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

or  gold  question,  etc.,  etc.  Poetry  cannot  thrive  in  such 
company.  So  I  got  only  a  fragment  done,  and  since  the 
letter  must  go  now  in  order  to  reach  you  on  your  birth- 
day I  cannot  wait  longer  for  poetic  inspiration.  .  .  . 

Since  writing  you  a  week  ago  I  have  been  quite  ac- 
tive. I  am  speaking  with  the  old  fire  once  more.  I  have 
touched  some  of  the  places  visited  in  the  campaign  of 
1860,  and  the  people  find  that  I  have  lost  none  of  my 
old  vigor.  My  meetings  are  always  crowded,  and  almost 
every  time  I  hear  of  conversions  which  I  have  brought 
about.  And  so  my  work  is  truly  beneficial.  Since 
Wednesday  I  have  traveled  only  on  the  great,  safe  mail 
steamers  on  the  Ohio,  and  with  glorious  weather  have 
had  really  wonderful  trips.  How  often  I  have  thought, 
were  you  with  me,  how  much  you  would  enjoy  it !  Along 
the  lovely  river,  between  the  wooded  hills,  I  can  occa- 
sionally forget  politics  and  let  my  fancy  rove.  When 
I  see  a  specially  fine  country  house  on  the  shore  I  ask 
myself — "How  would  it  be  if  I  lived  there  with  her?" — 
and  I  paint  the  picture.  Or,  I  paint  a  fancy  sketch  of 
Schwalbach  as  I  reconstruct  it  from  your  descriptions. 

As  regards  your  return  home,  let  your  health  be  the 
first  consideration  affecting  the  decision.  I  have  told 
you  so  much  about  my  prospects  and  future  plans  that 
there  is  hardly  anything  to  add.  .  .  .  But  if  the  doctor 
decides  it  is  desirable,  for  the  sake  of  your  health,  to 
remain  through  the  entire  winter,  I  will  consent  to  it; 
that  you  know.  .  .  . 

My  engagements  run  to  election  day,  with  some  in- 
terruptions for  rest.  The  last  five  or  six  weeks  of  the 
campaign  will  be  devoted  entirely  to  Missouri.  I  have 
several  reasons  for  that,  one  of  which  I  have  not  yet 
given  you.  It  is  this:  This  winter  the  legislature  of 
Missouri  will  elect  a  new  Senator  in  place  of  Henderson. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  443 

The  latter  would  have  been  reelected  had  he  not  ren- 
dered himself  impossible  by  his  attitude  in  the  impeach- 
ment. Some  voices  have  already  been  raised  in  the  state 
in  favor  of  sending  me  to  the  Senate.  The  main  argu- 
ment against  it  is  that  the  holdover  Senator,  Drake,  is 
from  St.  Louis  and  they  never  like  to  take  both  Senators 
from  the  same  place.  Usage  has  long  been  against  it. 
For  this  reason  I  shall  not  become  a  candidate.  But 
inasmuch  as  there  are  several  candidates  from  the  rural 
sections  and  the  probability  is  that  they  will  neutra- 
lize one  another  in  influence,  it  would  still  be  possible 
that  in  the  end  I  could  be  elected,  particularly  if  I  make 
a  strong  impression  throughout  the  state  by  my  speeches 
before  the  presidential  election.  I  do  not  speak  to  any- 
one about  it  and  also  restrain  my  friends  who  want  to 
bring  my  name  forward.  But  if,  in  the  course  of  events, 
the  election  should  come  to  me  wholly  without  effort 
on  my  part — a  thing  I  do  not  regard  as  probable  nor  yet 
as  impossible — I  would  accept  it.  I  certainly  would  not 
come  out  as  a  candidate  in  the  way  the  others  do,  because 
I  wish  to  avoid  unpleasantnesses.  I  shall  wait  quietly 
and  see  what  fate  may  decide.  If  it  does  not  come  I 
shall  have  the  advantage  of  not  being  disappointed,  be- 
cause I  did  not  count  on  anything  and  the  newspaper 
always  remains  to  me.  .  .  . 

A  thousand  greetings  for  you  all,  and  for  yourself 
in  particular  for  your  birthday.  .  .  . 


To  His  Wife 

Valparaiso,  Indiana,  August  16,  1868 
.  .  .  Preetorius  writes  me  that  the  Americans  in 
Missouri  are  talking  more  and  more  about  putting  me 


444  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

in  Henderson's  place  as  Senator  and  that  several  papers 
have  already  formally  placed  my  name  at  the  heads  of 
their  columns.  He  asked  me  what  he  should  say  and  I 
answered,  "Nothing  at  all."  I  shall  not  be  a  candidate, 
but  if  the  thing  settles  itself,  as  is  not  wholly  impossible, 
it  would  not  be  so  bad — what  do  you  think? 


To  His  Daughter  Agathe 

Valparaiso,  Indiana,  August  17,  1868 
Your  letter  about  the  Luther  celebration  gave  me 
much  pleasure.  The  description  is  simple  and  yet  per- 
spicuous. You,  of  course,  tried  to  present  only  the  out- 
standing features  of  the  celebration.  Usually,  descrip- 
tions of  this  kind  are  made  very  attractive  and  interest- 
ing through  the  emphasis  of  traits  and  contrasts  which 
are  peculiar  and  characteristic.  I  believe  you  under- 
stand what  I  mean  when  I  say  that  a  picture  appeals  to 
the  eye  and  arouses  interest  chiefly  through  its  strong 
lights. 

Mama  writes  that  you  have  read  much  lately.  I 
wish  you  would  give  me  an  outline  of  your  literary 
studies  with  an  account  of  those  which  appeal  to  you 
most.  .  .  . 

I  am  much  pleased  that  you  have  a  taste  for  histori- 
cal studies.  If  you  want  to  read,  for  yourself,  world 
history  to  the  Reformation,  take  the  old  Becker's  gen- 
eral history;  or,  if  you  can  find  it  there  in  the  library, 
Schlosser's.  I  believe  Becker's  is  the  better.  It  is 
written  more  attractively  for  beginners  and  is  less  diffi- 
cult to  understand.  It  is  important  at  present  that  you 
acquire  a  regular  survey  of  events  and  an  approxi- 
mate notion  of  each  historical  period.     Becker's  world 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  445 

history  is  very  good  for  this  purpose.  If,  later,  you  wish 
to  study  some  historical  situation  seriously,  I  will  cite 
you  other  books.  Much  stress  is  laid  in  the  schools  on 
names  and  dates.  These  are  valuable  only  as  providing 
the  "framework"  into  which  the  weightier  matters — 
the  development  of  events  and  characters  of  different 
periods — are  fitted.  The  great  point  is  to  secure  an 
understanding  of  the  latter,  and  if  you  would  have  his- 
torical matters  impress  themselves  upon  your  thought, 
you  must  not  lose  sight  of  the  important  things  through 
attention  to  incidentals.  The  books  of  Freitag  which 
we  bought  last  winter  are  on  this  account  of  very  special 
value.  They  impart  to  history  dramatic  life  and  color. 
It  does  us  little  good  to  know  that  Alexander,  king  of 
Macedon,  overthrew  Porus,  the  Hindu  king,  if  we  do 
not  know  what  kind  of  men  Alexander  and  Porus  really 
were,  under  what  conditions  they  lived,  and  what  their 
deeds  actually  signified  in  that  age.  .  .  . 

This  "stumping"  would  not  be  so  bad  if  one  were 
only  better  fed.  But  the  leather  beefsteak  and  the  fried 
potatoes  of  the  country  hotels  irk  me  so  that  I  always 
feel  like  getting  up  from  the  table  when  I  see  them 
coming.  But  what  can  I  do?  Eat  I  must,  and  so  with 
deadly  contempt  I  day  after  day  choke  down  the  leather 
beefsteak  and  in  doing  so  frequently  recall  the  ideal 
beefsteak  with  eggs  which  Mama  used  to  provide  for  me 
on  the  farm.  When  we  shall  be  together  once  more  you 
will  spoil  me  a  bit,  will  you  not?  And  now,  in  the 
thought  of  this  beautiful  future  I  will  go  on,  patiently 
swallowing  whatever  is  set  before  me. 

Write  me  soon  again,  dear  Handy,  and  give  Pussy 
a  kiss  for  me.    With  heartfelt  love. 


446  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

To  His  Wife 

Albany,  September  7,  1868 
I  am  sitting  here  in  the  same  elegant  room  in  which 
we  stayed  two  years  ago  when  you  made  the  trip  to  New 
York  with  me,  and  everything  about  me  is  alive  with 
memories.  In  a  few  hours  I  go  to  Syracuse.  .  .  .  Next 
week  come  my  engagements  in  Illinois  and  the  week 
after  next  I  shall  be  in  Missouri.  One  week  from  Sat- 
urday I  am  to  give  my  big  campaign  speech  in  Chicago 
— one  of  the  best,  as  I  think,  that  I  have  yet  produced. 
My  journey  through  Pennsylvania  was  a  genuine  march 
of  triumph.  Saturday  evening  I  spoke  to  the  Germans 
at  Cooper  Institute  in  New  York.  It  was  a  colossal 
meeting.  The  joyful  applause  which  greeted  me  when 
I  arose  was  such  that  for  several  minutes  I  could  not 
utter  a  sound.  My  heart  was  in  my  throat.  I  am  used 
to  such  things — possibly  a  trifle  blase — but  it  was  too 
overpowering.  Several  hundred  of  my  old  soldiers  had 
reserved  for  themselves  the  place  immediately  opposite 
the  stage,  and  as  they  leaped  to  their  feet  and  swung 
their  hats  and  reached  out  their  hands  and  gave  the 
general  one  "lebe  hoch"  after  another,  so  that  the  thing 
seemed  endless  and  incited  the  whole  vast  assemblage, 
I  almost  lost  my  grip  on  myself.  Finally,  however,  I 
took  myself  firmly  in  hand  and  made  a  speech  which 
even  the  critical  New  York  Germans  appraised  as  the 
most  classical  and  striking  I  had  ever  made.  .  .  . 

My  health  is  splendid.  I  have  recovered  my  real 
campaign  voice  and  could,  so  to  speak,  make  a  speech 
in  my  sleep.  It  is  easy  to  fight  in  the  feeling  of  victory. 
I  am  happy  over  the  news  you  give  me  concerning 
your  health.  You  have  no  doubt  gone  over  everything 
with  Adolf  and  in  one  of  your  next  letters  I  hope  you 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  447 

will  give  me  the  result.  Until  then  I  will  take  no  part 
in  the  matter.  .  .  .  My  best  greetings  for  you  loved 
ones.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  November  2,  1868 
Today  is  the  day  preceding  the  election.  Day  before 
yesterday  I  returned  from  my  last  trip  in  southeastern 
Missouri.  This  evening  I  am  to  speak  once  more  in  the 
manner  in  which  an  officer  rides  along  the  battle  front 
before  the  engagement,  giving  final  instructions  and 
words  of  encouragement  to  the  troops.  Then  my  duty 
will  be  done. 

My  last  tour  was  quite  wearying,  less  by  reason  of 
the  distances  covered  than  because  the  horses  which  drew 
me  were  so  horribly  slow.  Give  me  rough  roads,  a 
miserable  carriage,  but  not  slow  horses.  Were  I  obliged 
to  travel  three  months  continuously  in  the  way  I  did  the 
latter  part  of  last  week  I  should  develop  nervous  fever. 
But  now  everything  has  ended  fortunately  and  I  have 
the  feeling  that  I  have  performed  my  duty.  The  Re- 
publican press,  too,  has  extended  to  me  full  recognition 
for  what  I  have  done.  Our  papers  have  been  full  of 
my  doings,  and  the  demand  for  me  to  become  Senator 
grows  daily.  The  matter  begins  to  trend  toward  a 
higher  probability.  What  is  said  and  written  about  my 
entrance  into  the  cabinet  is  nothing  but  empty  rumor. 
Grant  certainly  has  given  no  intimation  himself  and  he 
will  doubtless  go  his  own  way.  It  would  be  strange  if 
other  people  knew  the  least  thing  about  it.  It  is,  to  be 
sure,  not  impossible  that  Grant  should  fix  upon  me,  but 
I  do  not  consider  it  at  all  probable.  He  is  too  little 
acquainted  with  me  and  will  scarcely  be  disposed  to  treat 


448  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

the  matter  in  a  hit-or-miss  way.  I  certainly  do  not  be- 
lieve he  would  proffer  me  the  one  portfolio  in  which  I 
could  achieve  something ;  namely,  that  of  foreign  affairs. 
The  circumstance  that  I  am  foreign  born  operates 
strongly  against  me.  I  should  prefer  the  senatorship  to 
any  other  place  in  the  cabinet.  I  could  accomplish  more 
there ;  it  would  be  more  advantageous  for  me  financially 
inasmuch  as  my  connection  with  the  business  could  be 
continued,  and  it  would  leave  me  much  more  freedom. 
More  than  that,  it  is  the  only  position  through  which  it 
might  be  possible,  sometime,  for  me  to  attain  the  secre- 
taryship of  state.  Do  you  recall  that  a  seat  in  the  Sen- 
ate was  from  the  first  the  highest  position  we  desired  for 
me  ?  If  that  should  now  come  of  its  own  accord  we  must 
not  be  so  ill-bred  as  to  want  something  else.  Let  us 
wait  patiently  for  the  good  things  fate  may  present  to 
us. 

Your  anxiety  about  me,  which  expresses  itself  in 
your  letter,  has  fortunately  been  quite  unnecessary. 
During  the  entire  campaign  I  was  everywhere  treated 
with  the  greatest  friendliness,  and  even  the  abuse  of 
the  Democratic  press  has  been  far  less  virulent  than  upon 
earlier  occasions  of  the  kind.  By  several  opposition 
papers  of  this  state  I  was  treated  with  actual  distinction. 
The  tone  of  things  in  Missouri  has  definitely  improved. 
Here  and  there  the  two  parties  still  confront  each  other 
with  virulence,  but  on  the  whole  such  localities  are  very 
few.  Night  before  last  both  parties  held  their  final 
demonstrations,  torchlight  processions,  etc.  here  in  St. 
Louis.  No  excesses  whatever  occurred.  Once  the  two 
processions  met,  but  the  Democratic  parade  stood  still 
to  let  a  division  of  the  tanners  pass  by  obliquely.  A 
few  weeks  ago  such  an  occasion  would  have  led  to  shoot- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  449 

ing  and  stabbing.  But  that  is  past.  So  we  are  looking 
forward  to  a  peaceful  election  day.  We  are  having 
glorious  Indian  summer  weather  and  I  sincerely  hope 
it  will  continue  until  tomorrow  night.  The  result  of  the 
election  you  will  have  received  through  the  telegraph 
long  before  this  letter  reaches  you.  At  present  we  can 
speak  only  of  hopes,  but  they  are  very  dependable.  .  .  . 
I  am  expecting  that  the  electoral  college  of  this  state, 
whose  head  I  am  as  the  first  elector-at-large,  will  send 
me  to  Washington  to  deliver  the  electoral  vote  of  Mis- 
souri in  favor  of  Grant.  That  will  be  toward  the 
beginning  of  January  and  will  give  me  some  days  in 
Washington. 

Aside  from  this  I  shall  not  get  away  from  here  save, 
at  the  utmost,  for  a  visit  to  Monee,  which  I  shall  prob- 
ably make  in  a  week  or  two.  The  rest  will  be  peaceful, 
quiet,  regular  work.  Should  I  be  elected  Senator  I 
would  have  to  go  to  Washington  for  the  inauguration 
of  Grant  and  the  beginning  of  the  senatorial  session. 
But  that  will  be  decided  only  after  the  meeting  of  our 
state  legislature,  probably  toward  the  middle  of  Janu- 
ary. Up  to  then  the  future  will  remain  uncertain.  This 
is  the  program  as  far  as  I  can  sketch  it.  .  .  .  Adieu. 
My  best  greetings  to  you  all. 


To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  November  9,  1868 
Now  the  election  has  happily  passed  and  I  rest  on  my 
laurels.  Everything  went  off  splendidly;  only  here  in 
Missouri  we  lost  the  amendment  giving  negroes  the 
right  to  vote.  This  type  of  reform,  however,  comes 
about  only  step  by  step,  and  a  temporary  failure  is  but 


450  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

a  step  toward  final  victory.  The  election  went  off,  as  I 
predicted,  in  perfect  quiet  and  now  the  prof  oundest  con- 
tentment prevails.  I  had  hoped  my  labors  would  be 
over,  but  so  it  goes.  The  Republicans  of  St.  Louis  have 
decided  to  hold  a  ratification  meeting  next  Tuesday  and 
naturally  I  was  again  asked  to  present  in  a  speech 
my  views  on  the  present  situation.  Just  as  naturally  I 
was  unable  to  decline.  "We  want  to  hear  you,"  it  was 
said  again;  "the  people  will  come  to  hear  you,"  etc. 
And  inasmuch  as  the  matter  is  of  some  importance,  so 
shortly  before  the  senatorial  election,  the  speech  being  in 
a  sense  my  program  for  the  future,  I  am  once  more  at 
my  writing-desk,  as  if  the  campaign  had  just  begun. 
Of  course  this  speech  must  be  short,  but  I  have  only 
three  days  to  prepare  it  and  that  time  is  largely  filled 
with  the  regular  newspaper  work.  But  I  have  made  a 
vow  that  for  several  months  to  come  this  is  to  be  the  last 
extraordinary  labor,  for  I  am  actually  tired  of  the  exer- 
tion. .  .  . 

The  election  being  over,  new  sorrows  have  come  for 
me:  First,  the  office  seekers  who  want  my  support — 
and  you  know  the  bedbug-like  stickiness  of  many  of 
these.  I  keep  them  away  as  much  as  I  can,  but  it  is  a 
constant  fight.  Then  comes  the  senatorial  election.  On 
the  one  hand,  I  have  to  listen  to  my  friends,  who  insist 
on  telling  me  fully  what  they  are  going  to  do  for  me, 
and  who  also  tell  me  about  every  conceivable  kind  of  in- 
trigue which  is  being  concocted  against  me,  and  give 
the  best-meant  advice.  Naturally,  I  have  to  listen  to  all 
this  with  deadly  contempt  but  without  moving  a  muscle, 
and  it  is  hard  for  me  to  convince  the  people  that  I 
cannot  and  will  not  be  active  in  the  matter  myself.  Next 
come  the  friends  and  agents  of  my  rivals,  who  offer  me 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  451 

every  imaginable  office,  or  at  least  their  support  for  it, 
in  order  to  get  me  out  of  the  way  so  far  as  the  senator- 
ship  is  concerned.  These  people  again  are  hard  to  con- 
vince that  I  do  not  want  any  office  under  the  adminis- 
tration, and  that  if  I  did  want  one  I  would  not  require 
their  assistance.  Of  course  all  kinds  of  levers  are 
worked  and  I  tell  you  I  wish  the  time  of  the  senatorial 
election,  which  is  fixed  for  the  twentieth  of  January, 
were  past.  I  would  rather,  if  it  were  possible,  go  away 
from  here  in  order  to  avoid  being  worried  by  this  busi- 
ness. If  I  had  you  here  everything  would  be  much 
easier,  for  together  we  can  make  light  of  many  things. 
However,  my  old  equanimity,  which  as  you  know  never 
forsakes  me,  comes  to  my  support  here  too.  My  chief 
opponent  is  Drake,  the  Senator  who  holds  over  until 
1872.  He  knows  that  if  I  am  elected  and  there  are 
then  two  Senators  from  St.  Louis,  his  place  would  be 
vacated  at  the  end  of  his  term.  But  since  he  has  already 
lost  much  of  his  influence  in  the  state,  his  opposition,  al- 
though not  to  be  despised,  will  in  no  way  be  decisive. 
So  there  are  plenty  of  things,  as  you  see,  to  occupy  me, 
though  not  precisely  in  the  pleasantest  way.  .  .  . 

Now  I  must  go  at  my  speech  and  my  leading  article. 
Next  week  I  shall  be  able  to  write  you  with  more  quiet, 
perhaps  from  Chicago  or  Monee.  What  you  have  to 
tell  me  about  your  health  is  splendid.  Oh,  if  it  could 
only  be  my  privilege  once  more  to  have  you  thoroughly 
well  and  vigorous  in  my  arms.  What  would  not  that  be 
for  me! 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  November  16,  1868 
That  your  life  in  Wiesbaden  is  now  more  lively  and 
pleasant  in  a  social  way  pleases  me  much.    That  is  nee- 


452  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

essary  for  you.  I  hope  that  the  people  with  whom  you 
associate  will  continue  thoughtful  as  they  are  at  present. 
That  is  the  best  help  toward  your  cure.  If  I  could  only 
be  with  you  for  a  couple  of  weeks !  How  it  would  thaw 
me  out !  But  I  am  obliged  to  banish  the  thought  from 
my  mind  because  it  is  impossible. 

In  my  last  letter  I  told  you  about  a  speech  which  I 
would  have  to  give  at  the  ratification  meeting.  Well, 
nothing  came  of  it.  I  had  my  speech  ready  when  we — 
that  is  to  say,  my  closest  political  friends  here  and  my- 
self— came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  would  be  better  for 
me  just  now  to  discuss  no  questions  of  the  future  pub- 
licly. My  name,  my  reputation,  it  was  said,  are  stronger 
at  this  moment  than  they  could  be  made  through  any 
speech.  It  would  be  better  if  I  allowed  my  name  to  go 
before  the  legislature  at  the  senatorial  election  just  as  it 
stands  at  present,  and  discuss  future  problems  only 
when  they  come  up  for  practical  solution.  That  was 
good  sense  and  I  agreed.  ... 

General  Loan,  who  feels  himself  threatened  by  my 
popularity,  has  begun  a  very  active  effort  to  gain 
friends.  In  this  quest  he  came  here  last  week,  but  left 
much  disappointed,  having  observed  that  my  election  is 
regarded  here  as  a  certainty  and  that  the  great  Ameri- 
can newspaper,  the  Democrat,  is  coming  to  my  aid 
most  warmly.  Besides,  my  friends  out  in  the  state  are 
not  indolent  either,  and  every  day  I  receive  assurances 
of  support  from  this  and  that  member  of  the  legislature. 
In  the  press  my  name  has  been  mentioned  so  far  only 
out  in  the  state,  and  that  is  true  policy  inasmuch  as 
my  nomination  should  not  come  from  St.  Louis  but  from 
the  rural  population.  .  .  . 

Last  week  I  had  a  charming  letter  from  Papa.  He 
has  made  a  speech.    Here  is  what  he  says :    "I  helped  in 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  453 

the  preelection  work.  One  night  an  American  made  a 
speech  here  and  there  was  no  German  present.  I  went 
to  the  platform  and  made  a  speech  with  the  greatest 
applause.  A  serenade  was  given  me,  of  course  a  Monee 
serenade.  Schiffer  and  Anna  were  present  at  the 
speech.  They  said  they  sat  there  in  the  greatest  anxiety 
and  were  afraid  I  would  get  stuck.  Mama  wept  and 
feared  I  would  not  live  long.  I  was  also  elected  chair- 
man. But  everything  went  well."  I  anticipate  much 
pleasure  in  hearing  from  Mama  about  it.  I  think  of 
going  there  next  week.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Chicago,  November  23,  1868 
My  chances  for  the  senatorial  position  seem  to  grow 
better  constantly.  Shortly  before  I  left  St.  Louis  very 
favorable  reports  were  given  me  from  various  parts  of 
the  state.  The  newspapers  are  coming  out  for  me  in 
considerable  numbers  and  with  great  enthusiasm.  If 
the  matter  actually  goes  as  it  promises  it  will  be  a  great 
triumph.  If  I  am  elected,  ought  you  not  to  be  in  the 
gallery  when  I  am  sworn  in?  This  affair,  which  marks  a 
new  point  of  departure  in  my  career,  will  not  have  the 
same  charm  for  me  if  you  are  not  present.  After  shar- 
ing so  many  a  bitter  hour  we  ought  also  to  experience  the 
triumphs  together.  But  let  me  not  speak  of  it  with  so 
much  certainty.  I  shall  not  take  it  as  assured  until  the 
election  is  past. 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  November  28,  1868 
In  half  an  hour   I  shall  have  to  go  to  our  Saturday 
dinner,  and  in  order  to  mollify  the  premonitory  stirrings 


454  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

of  my  stomach,  which  are  already  lively,  I  will  tell  you 
about  this  new  arrangement.  Inasmuch  as  I  am  now 
really  a  kind  of  orphan  boy,  the  idea  came  to  me  of 
bringing  about  a  somewhat  more  social  relationship  be- 
tween the  Germans  and  the  Americans  here  in  St.  Louis. 
To  that  end,  shortly  after  the  election  I  suggested  to 
several  of  my  German  and  American  friends  that  we  eat 
together  every  Saturday  in  a  perfectly  informal  manner 
and  without  any  sort  of  organization.  The  suggestion 
was  taken  up  eagerly  and  two  weeks  ago  today  we  be- 
gan with  seven,  all  men  of  consequence — journalists, 
advocates,  and  a  couple  of  merchants,  all  congenial 
people.  I  did  not  attend  the  second  dinner  because  I 
had  gone  to  Chicago,  but  today  there  will  probably  be 
eighteen  or  twenty.  We  eat  at  the  Planters  House, 
where  they  serve  a  very  fine  dinner — of  course  in  a 
private  dining  room.  We  begin  at  three  o'clock  and 
separate  about  seven.  There  we  assemble  the  ablest 
men  of  St.  Louis,  and  I  am  convinced  that  in  a  short 
time  the  Saturday  dinner  will  exert  a  decisive  influence 
upon  the  politics  of  the  state.  Has  not  your  husband 
here  again  had  a  happy  inspiration?  He  has  to  amuse 
himself  now  as  best  he  can,  and  in  this  business  he  is 
trying  to  combine  the  useful  with  the  pleasant.  .  .  . 


To  His  Wife 

Sunday,  November  29,  1868 
I  was  interrupted  yesterday  and  then  had  to  go  to 
the  Saturday  dinner,  which  was  very  pleasant.  .  .  . 

As  to  the  hope  you  continue  to  harbor  that  I  may  be 
with  you  at  Christmas  time,  that  is  quite  impossible.  It 
is  not  alone  the  newspaper.    As  elector  of  the  state,  I 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  455 

must  day  after  tomorrow  be  in  Jefferson  City,  where 
the  electoral  college  assembles  to  cast  the  vote  of  Mis- 
souri. And  it  is  probable  that  I  shall  be  sent  to  Wash- 
ington to  deliver  the  vote  to  the  president  of  the  Senate. 
Besides,  I  must  be  here  on  account  of  the  senatorial  elec- 
tion. Were  I  to  leave  now  it  would  cost  me  perhaps 
twenty  per  cent  of  my  chances  and  that  cannot  be  ven- 
tured. The  Republican  papers  in  the  interior  of  the 
state  are  now  coming  out  for  me  one  after  another,  par- 
ticularly those  in  northern  Missouri,  where  I  expected 
to  find  the  strongest  opposition.  My  attitude  is  of 
course  quite  passive,  but  I  have  to  be  here.  Every  mo- 
ment members  of  the  legislature  come  who  at  least  want 
to  see  me  and  ask  my  opinion  on  this  or  that  question. 
And  I  have  to  be  accessible.  Is  not  that  so?  You  see 
that  yourself,  do  you  not  ?  My  chances,  indeed,  seem  to 
be  improving  constantly,  and  unless  a  decided  reaction 
sets  in  against  me  before  the  twentieth  of  January,  we 
can  consider  my  election  almost  assured.  While  I  do 
not  count  upon  anything  with  certainty,  still  I  cannot 
resist  now  and  then  allowing  myself  pleasant  dreams  of 
how,  during  the  next  six  years,  we  shall  install  ourselves 
comfortably  in  Washington  and  for  the  most  part  live 
pleasantly  in  an  environment  which  I  know  you  will 
prefer  to  St.  Louis.  And  I  can  very  nicely  retain  my 
connection  with  the  newspaper,  to  which,  as  Senator,  I 
can  be  of  the  greatest  advantage  and  so  be  splendidly 
situated,  socially  as  well  as  materially.  .  .  . 

How  I  rejoice  over  what  you  tell  me  about  your 
health !  You  will  now  at  last  be  perfectly  well ;  be  sure 
to  bring  back  your  second  youth  unharmed.  We  shall 
then  strive  to  retain  it.  I  also  am  quite  well.  The  labors 
of  the  presidential  campaign  have  left  no  traces  what- 


456  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

ever  upon  me,  and  the  abundance  of  office  work  affects 
me  just  as  little.  I  was  made  to  be  a  regular  work- 
horse, and  should  I  enter  the  Senate  this  working  power 
will  make  itself  felt  in  a  worthy  field.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  December  6,  1868 
The  business  of  the  senatorial  election  presents  itself 
constantly  in  a  more  favorable  light.  There  are  now 
in  all  twenty-two  of  the  state  newspapers  which  have 
come  out  for  me,  while  all  other  candidates  together 
have  hardly  half  a  dozen.  .  .  . 

Today  we  receive  the  presidential  message — John- 
son's last,  which  we  shall  have  to  translate.  Much  snow 
fell  last  night ;  the  telegraph  is  disorganized  and  we  shall 
have  to  work  until  late  tonight. 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  December  20,  1868 
I  found  your  letter  on  my  return  from  the  soldiers' 
reunion  at  Chicago.  On  the  whole  this  was  a  confused 
and  somewhat  tiresome  affair.  The  first  evening  there 
was  a  meeting  with  endless  speeches.  The  only  thing 
which  actually  thrilled  the  gathering  was  the  reveille 
which  was  performed  at  the  beginning  of  the  business 
by  the  trumpet  corps  and  which  brought  back  a  very 
vivid  recollection  of  the  camp  and  campaign  life.  The 
first  stirring  notes  were  greeted  with  a  genuine  explo- 
sion of  cheers.  On  the  second  evening  we  had  a  great 
banquet  in  the  hall  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce. 
There  were  over  fifteen  hundred  officers  at  table.  But 
the  hall  was  so  large  and  there  was  so  much  noise  that 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  457 

the  toasts  and  responses  could  hardly  be  heard.  Ac- 
cordingly, there  was  much  confusion  and  on  the  whole 
the  affair  was  not  very  satisfactory.  I  responded  to  the 
toast,  "The  Loyal  and  Patriotic  Press."  I  was  listened 
to  with  greater  attention  than  anyone  else,  but  I  spoke 
only  a  few  minutes.  On  such  occasions  one  performs 
a  distinct  service  by  being  brief. 

Grant,  Sherman,  Thomas  were  all  there  together 
with  a  long  series  of  distinguished  generals.  I  had  a 
conversation  with  Grant  in  which  he  expressed  himself 
quite  freely  about  several  things.  Among  others,  we 
touched  upon  our  two  reports  on  the  situation  in  the 
South  which  in  the  winter  of  1865  were  laid  before  Con- 
gress, and  he  avowed  very  freely:  "I  traveled  as  the 
general-in-chief  and  people  who  came  to  see  me  tried 
to  appear  to  the  best  advantage.  But  I  have  since  come 
to  the  conclusion  that  you  were  right  and  I  was 
wrong."72  I  believe  we  shall  have  in  him  a  good,  wise 
president,  true  to  Republican  principles.  The  views  he 
expressed  on  several  political  questions  were  very  clear 
and  sensible.  But  it  is  remarkable  how  little  enthusiasm 
the  sight  of  him  arouses  in  the  masses.  At  the  soldiers' 
assembly  and  the  banquet  he  sat  in  his  quiet  way,  with 
his  impassive,  stony  countenance,  and  it  seemed  almost 
as  if  the  people  did  not  trust  themselves  to  cheer  for  him 
in  his  presence;  while  Sherman,  and  particularly 
Thomas,  were  immediately  in  magnetic  rapport  with  the 
assembly.  When  Grant  is  not  present  the  announce- 
ment of  his  name  always  brings  a  cheer,  but  his  presence 
chills.  And  still,  he  can  let  himself  go  in  private  con- 
versation, and  can  be  talkative  and  even  pleasant. 
Whether  or  not  I  got  closer  to  him  I  do  not  know.    It 

73  This  important  admission  on  Grant's  part  stands,  in  Schurz's  German 
letter,  as  a  direct  quotation  in  English,  just  as  it  is  here  printed. 


458  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

is  said  he  relies  a  great  deal  upon  me;  Sherman,  for 
example,  says  that,  and  consequently  it  must  be  true. 
Who  shall  be  taken  into  the  cabinet,  who  shall  fill  the 
higher  offices,  is  still  all  in  doubt.  Grant,  naturally,  is 
dumb  as  a  fish.  Supposition  exhausts  itself;  the  most 
varied  combinations  are  being  made,  but  at  the  end 
we  know  as  much  as  at  the  beginning. 

My  expectation  concerning  the  senatorship  was 
much  discussed  among  the  generals  and  I  received 
dozens  of  congratulations  because,  as  it  appeared,  the 
matter  is  regarded  as  settled.  The  press  outside  of  the 
state  begins  to  interest  itself  warmly,  and  I  believe  the 
legislature  will  be  under  strong  pressure  from  public 
opinion.  .  .  . 


To  His  Wife 

St.  Loins,  December  26,  1868 
Christmas  is  now  past  and  I  am  again  sitting  at 
my  writing-table.  For  me  the  celebration  was  not  par- 
ticularly exciting.  I  indeed  helped  to  arrange  the 
Christmas  tree  in  the  Preetorius  home,  but  it  would  not 
do.  The  spontaneous  interest  was  lacking  for  the  most 
part  and  my  thoughts  wandered  in  the  distance  and  in 
the  past.  Last  year  it  was  so  fine.  And  this  year  I  en- 
livened my  lonesomeness  with  all  sorts  of  fantasy  pic- 
tures about  the  Christmas  tree  in  Wilhelmstrasse.  .  .  . 
The  next  few  weeks  will  be  very  heavy  ones  for  me. 
The  struggle  over  the  senatorship  is  now  going  on  in 
good  earnest.  Congress  has  adjourned,  and  my  oppo- 
nents and  their  helpers — Henderson,  Loan,  Drake,  and 
others — are  on  their  way  hither  to  conduct  the  campaign 
against  me  personally.  .  .  . 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  459 

The  newspapers  of  Illinois,  Wisconsin,  Kansas, 
Iowa,  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Michigan  are  coming  out 
for  me  one  after  the  other,  and  soon  New  England  and 
Pennsylvania  will  also  be  heard  from.  Quite  apart 
from  the  fact  that  this  pressure  of  public  opinion  must 
have  an  effect  upon  the  legislature,  I  must  confess  that 
the  general  cordiality  with  which  my  candidature  is 
greeted  in  all  parts  of  the  country  is  very  grateful  to 
me.  I  believe  that  a  greater  interest  has  very  rarely 
been  taken  in  a  senatorial  election.  Nevertheless,  the 
struggle  will  be  a  pretty  hot  one ;  for  Drake  and  Hen- 
derson, the  present  Senators,  will  do  everything  possible 
to  defeat  me.  Those  newspapers  which  are  under  their 
influence  have  kept  up  a  lively  fire  against  me  for  some 
time,  but  their  attacks  thus  far  have  only  had  the  effect 
of  arousing  indignation  against  themselves  and  of 
making  my  popularity  still  greater.  As  early  as  next 
week  my  friends  from  here  go  to  Jefferson  City  in  order 
to  be  there  betimes.  The  session  of  the  legislature  be- 
gins on  the  sixth  and  the  election  will  take  place  on  the 
nineteenth  or  twentieth.  I  at  first  intended  not  to  go 
up  during  the  session,  but  it  is  probable  that  the  Repub- 
lican members  of  the  legislature  will  send  me  an  invita- 
tion to  address  them.  That  could  not  be  declined,  and 
for  other  reasons  my  presence  may  become  necessary. 
You  see  my  life  is  a  continual  battle  and  will  doubtless 
remain  so.  Perhaps — yes,  very  probably — this  fight 
will  end  with  a  victory.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  January  3,  1869 
Now  we  are  in  the  new  year.     How  I  should  have 
liked  to  give  you  and  the  children  the  New  Year's  greet- 


460  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

ing  and  kiss  personally!  But  I  was  obliged  to  content 
myself  with  the  lovely  home  pictures  which  my  fancy 
painted!  May  the  new  year  bring  us  many  blessings; 
above  all,  meeting  and  reunion!  Everything  else  will 
then  be  easy  to  bear. 

I  am  beginning  the  new  year  with  a  regular  battle. 
Drake,  Henderson,  Loan,  and  their  gang  have  lined  up 
and  are  moving  heaven  and  earth  to  defeat  me.  Then 
organs  among  the  newspapers  attack  me  most  bitterly, 
but  in  a  manner  which  has  thus  far  done  me  more  good 
than  harm.  Following  these  attacks,  more  and  more 
newspapers  throughout  the  state  have  come  out  in  my 
favor.  There  are  now  thirty-eight  English  and  ten  Ger- 
man papers,  while  my  strongest  opponent  has  only  thir- 
teen. Besides,  the  Republican  press  outside  of  Mis- 
souri has  come  out  strongly  for  me  so  that  as  far  as  pub- 
he  opinion  goes  there  can  be  no  possible  doubt.  That, 
however,  does  not  suffice  to  decide  the  matter.  My  op- 
ponents omit  no  intrigue  which  may  produce  an  effect 
upon  the  public  mind.  You  have  no  idea  of  the  things 
they  tell  and  the  rumors  they  circulate.  Henderson 
causes  telegrams  to  be  sent  and  written  daily  to  the 
Democratic  papers  here,  stating  that  General  Grant  is 
strongly  for  him  and  very  decidedly  against  me.  Nat- 
urally the  whole  story  is  made  up,  and  denial  follows 
these  reports  immediately.  I  have  letters  from  a  mem- 
ber of  Congress,  E.  B.  Washburne,  Grant's  most 
trusted  friend,  which  speak  of  my  election  with  genuine 
enthusiasm.  Such  lying  reports  as  are  mentioned  above 
recoil  with  full  force  upon  the  originators.  The  rumor 
has  also  been  started  that  I  have  taken  my  family  to 
Europe  because  I  do  not  intend  to  remain  in  Missouri, 
and  that  I  will  leave  the  state  permanently  after  the  sen- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  461 

atorial  election.     You  see  that  even  you  have  to  be 
brought  in;  and  so  it  goes  to  an  unbelievable  extent. 

These  matters  require  me  to  be  in  Jefferson  City 
during  the  senatorial  election  for  the  sake  of  contradict- 
ing the  lies,  and  I  am  going  down  there  this  afternoon. 
I  do  it  reluctantly;  it  is  most  disagreeable  to  me,  but 
there  is  no  way  out  of  it.  Naturally  it  will  not  be  hard 
for  me  to  keep  my  opponents  within  proper  bounds,  and 
I  hope  to  extract  from  the  attacks  made  upon  me  a  defi- 
nite advantage.  But  is  it  not  sad  that  a  man  who  feels 
he  has  the  stuff  in  him  to  accomplish  important  things 
must  contend  for  the  place  which  will  afford  him  a 
worth-while  field  of  endeavor,  with  all  sorts  of  rabble 
who  have  nothing  but  petty  interests  in  mind  and  can- 
not see  beyond  the  commonplace?  And  I  cannot  deny 
that  it  always  pains  me  to  see  baseness,  particularly  if 
this  baseness  proceeds  from  men  who  belong  to  the 
same  party  with  me.  On  the  whole,  things  are  favor- 
able. But,  as  I  have  always  said,  I  count  on  nothing 
with  certainty,  and  if  intrigue  should  defeat  me  I  would 
not  be  surprised.  That  success  would  be  much  more 
agreeable  to  me  than  defeat,  you  can  well  suppose.  But 
even  the  latter  could  be  endured.  Therefore,  do  not  f ear 
that  even  in  the  worst  case  I  would  stand  whining  like 
a  water-soaked  poodle.  I  have  you  to  love  me,  I  always 
have  good  friends,  I  shall  maintain  my  reputation,  and 
I  have  an  assured  living.  A  defeat  would  amount  to 
one  less  success,  but  it  would  not  be  a  disaster.  I  am 
what  is  called  "in  splendid  fighting  trim,"  and  in  that 
condition  I  am  going  to  the  theatre  of  war.  The  election 
occurs  on  the  nineteenth  of  this  month,  but  the  matter 
will  probably  be  decided  in  ten  or  twelve  days  through  a 
caucus  nomination.     Therefore,  good  luck!    You  see  1 


462  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

am  full  of  politics,  which  you  will  doubtless  find  very 
natural.  .  .  . 

My  health  is  splendid  and  I  also  have  good  reports 
from  my  parents,  at  least  up  to  shortly  after  Christmas. 
Since  then  I  have  not  heard  from  them.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Jefferson  City,  January  10,  1869 
I  have  been  here  for  a  week.  The  battle  in  which  I 
am  engaged  does  not  turn  solely  on  the  senator  ship.  It 
involves  the  leadership  of  one  or  the  other  element,  the 
narrowly  despotic  or  the  liberal  people  in  Missouri. 
Senator  Drake  came  hither  from  Washington  to  lead 
the  fight  against  me.  I  took  up  the  gauntlet.  Last 
Thursday  I  made  a  speech  to  the  Republican  members 
of  the  legislature  which  dealt  a  terrific  blow  to  the  op- 
ponents. I  will  send  it  to  you.  Loan  and  Drake  will 
answer  Monday  and  Tuesday,  and  I  shall  follow  with  a 
closing  speech.  The  matter  has  aroused  the  greatest  in- 
terest throughout  the  state  and  in  many  portions  of  the 
country.  Here  it  is  called  the  "battle  of  the  giants." 
Mass  meetings  are  being  held  and  addresses  circulated 
in  many  portions  of  Missouri,  in  which  the  attacks  upon 
me  are  condemned  in  the  strongest  terms  and  members 
of  the  legislature  are  instructed  to  vote  for  me.  It  is 
causing  unexampled  excitement  in  the  whole  state.  So 
far  I  have  enjoyed  a  brilliant  success.  I  have  driven  my 
opponents  out  of  every  position.  Last  night  my  oppo- 
nent Loan  and  I  talked  before  a  gathering  of  south- 
western delegates  on  the  subject  of  the  railway  interests 
of  the  state,  and  I  swept  Loan  so  absolutely  from  the 
field  that  his  friends  were  ashamed  of  him.  I  already 
have  a  majority  of  the  radical  members  of  the  legisla- 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  463 

ture  on  my  side,  and  I  believe  my  victory  is  assured  un- 
less wholly  unforeseen  circumstances  intervene.  The 
debate  Monday  and  Tuesday  evening  will  be  decisive. 
I  am  in  good  spirits,  have  hosts  of  friends,  and  was 
never  in  better  "fighting  spirit."  If  I  win,  as  I  prob- 
ably shall,  my  victory  will  be  an  event  not  only  for  me 
but  for  the  state  and  the  entire  party. 

Today  you  must  be  satisfied  with  a  few  words.  I 
am  terribly  overwhelmed  with  work;  in  fact,  so  much 
so  that  I  require  every  minute.  Long  before  you  receive 
this  letter  the  battle  will  be  over. 

To  Emit  Preetorius 

Jefferson  City,  January  13,  1869 
Before  you  receive  this  letter  you  will  already  know 
whether  I  have  been  nominated  or  not.  At  all  events, 
I  had  one  of  the  greatest  triumphs  of  my  life  last  night. 
Drake  was  completely  crushed.  The  party  despotism 
is  ended  for  all  time  and  the  liberal  element  is  more 
powerful  than  ever.  The  radicals  here,  with  few  ex- 
ceptions, congratulate  one  another  as  if  they  had  thrown 
off  the  yoke  of  a  tyranny. 

If  I  am  nominated  tonight,  I  shall  perhaps  come 
home  Saturday  unless  a  bolting  movement  breaks  out, 
which  I  do  not  expect.  If  it  does,  I  shall  of  course  re- 
main here  to  hold  our  forces  together.  If  I  am  not 
nominated  tonight  the  battle  will  probably  continue 
through  several  caucuses. 

Drake  charged  last  night  that  I  personally  election- 
eered against  Hilton  at  the  voting  place  of  the  fifth 
ward.  The  assertion  was  based  on  a  letter  from  Hilton. 
Cannot  you,  since  you  were  constantly  with  me  on  elec- 
tion day,  testify  in  case  of  necessity  that  I  did  not  in- 


464  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

fluence  a  single  voter  against  Hilton  ?  I  do  not  remem- 
ber a  single  such  case  and  I  believe  I  am  certain  of  it. 
I  therefore  denied  the  charge.  I  believe,  however,  the 
intrigue  is  played  out. 

I  am  well  and  everything  looks  promising.     With 
hearty  greeting  to  the  whole  family. 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  January  16,  1869 
The  battle  has  been  fought.  It  is  the  greatest 
triumph  of  my  life.  The  opposition  was  powerful. 
Senator  Drake  came  to  Jefferson  City  from  Washing- 
ton to  prevent  my  election  in  order  to  make  sure  of  his 
own  reelection  four  years  hence.  Drake  was  the  actual 
dictator  of  the  party.  My  speech  on  Thursday  of  the 
previous  week  enticed  him  out  into  the  open.  He  took 
up  my  challenge  and  announced  that  he  would  answer 
it.  He  took  a  day  to  prepare.  Last  Monday  the  de- 
bate began.  Loan  spoke  first,  weakly  and  tediously. 
Then  Drake  began  his  attack  upon  me.  He  had  spoken 
about  half  an  hour  when  I  asked  him  certain  questions 
about  his  attitude  in  the  constitutional  convention  of 
Missouri,  which  so  completely  unnerved  him  that  he  did 
not  regain  his  composure  the  rest  of  the  evening.  At 
half  past  ten  he  broke  off  to  resume  again  another  day. 
Tuesday  night  he  came  and  made  a  deliberate  attack 
upon  the  Germans.  Now  he  was  in  my  hands.  When 
he  had  spoken  two  hours  the  crowd  which  jammed  the 
assembly  hall  became  impatient  and  called  for  me. 
As  I  ascended  the  platform  I  was  greeted  with  enthu- 
siastic cheers.  With  a  single  sentence  I  demolished 
Loan's  speech.  Then  I  went  for  Drake.  Never  in  my 
life  have  I  spoken  better,  perhaps  never  with  so  much 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  465 

fire  and  instant  effect.  My  defense  of  the  Germans  was 
greeted  with  enthusiastic  cheers.  Drake  interrupted 
me  several  times,  but  my  answer  always  came  stroke 
upon  stroke,  throwing  him  back  into  his  seat  shattered. 
The  excitement  of  the  people  rose  to  fever  heat  and 
Drake  remained  in  his  seat  a  pitiful  picture  of  defeat. 
Next  day  a  Democratic  Senator  remarked:  "When- 
ever that  German  drew  his  shining  rapier  the  blood  of 
his  antagonist  seemed  to  shoot  up  to  the  ceiling.  In 
thirty  years  the  legislative  halls  of  Missouri  never  wit- 
nessed anything  so  brilliant.  Even  Benton  in  his  best 
days  never  equaled  it."  The  victory  could  not  have 
been  more  complete.  Immediately  after  the  adjourn- 
ment Drake  hurried  to  his  hotel,  recovered  his  laundry 
from  the  laundress,  packed  it,  wet,  in  his  trunk,  and 
started  off.  It  was  a  genuine  flight.  The  one-time 
dictator  of  the  party  ran  away  from  it,  followed  by  the 
laughter  and  hisses,  not  only  of  his  opponents,  but  even 
of  those  who  up  to  that  time  had  remained  his  friends. 
My  nomination  had  been  very  probable  before ;  now 
it  was  a  certainty.  In  the  evening  after  the  great  debate 
the  caucus  of  radical  members  of  the  legislature  as- 
sembled and  I  was  nominated  on  the  first  ballot,  and 
before  the  result  of  the  ballot  was  announced  one  of  my 
former  opponents  arose  and  upon  his  motion  the  nomi- 
nation was  made  unanimous.  The  jubilation  now  was 
unbounded.  My  rooms  at  the  hotel  were  crowded 
until  three  o'clock  in  the  morning.  They  sang  the  John 
Brown  song  and  shook  hands  as  if  the  yoke  of  a  tyrant 
had  been  loosed  from  the  people.  After  the  first  hour 
my  right  hand  was  so  crushed  that  I  had  to  use  the  left. 
Toward  one  o'clock  at  night  a  music  corps  was  as- 
sembled and  I  was  given  a  serenade.  Musical  organi- 
zations paraded  the  streets  until  daybreak.    Next  morn- 


466  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

ing  telegraphic  congratulations  arrived  from  all  parts  of 
the  country.  I  started  back  here  about  four  in  the 
afternoon  and  arrived  at  midnight.  Yesterday  and 
today  I  have  been  stopped  on  the  street  by  dozens  of 
men  whom  I  have  never  known  and  who  desire  to  con- 
gratulate me  on  the  great  victory.  I  believe  I  can  tell 
you  without  exaggeration  that  I  am  today  the  most 
powerful  man  in  Missouri. 

Tuesday  the  formal  vote  will  occur  in  the  legislature 
and  I  shall  go  back  to  Jefferson  City  Monday  after- 
noon in  order  to  receive  my  certificate  from  the  legisla- 
ture and,  according  to  custom,  make  a  short  speech  in 
which  I  shall  set  forth  the  significance  of  the  result  of 
the  victory.  That  significance  does  not  consist  in  a 
mere  personal  triumph.  It  means  the  disappearance 
of  that  dour  party  zealotry  which  has  dominated  under 
Drake's  dictatorship,  and  its  replacement  by  a  liberal 
policy.  It  is  the  substitution  of  a  friendly,  forgiving 
future  policy  for  the  bitter  feeling  of  hatred  which 
originated  in  the  war  and  has  characterized  the  spirit  of 
the  party  struggle  up  to  this  point.  On  that  account 
all  parties  in  the  state  are  pleased  over  my  triumph. 
You  can  imagine  how  proud  the  Germans  are  since  last 
Tuesday.  They  now  swear  by  nothing  higher  than  me. 
Of  course,  they  have  never  been  as  powerful  in  the  state 
as  at  this  moment.  I  shall  try  in  every  possible  way  to 
suppress  torchlight  processions  and  the  like,  but  I  doubt 
if  I  shall  succeed.  .  .  . 

I  have  not  heard  from  my  parents  since  New  Year's 
but  I  can  imagine  how  happy  they  must  be.  I  am 
already  making  all  sorts  of  lovely  plans  for  having  them 
come  to  us  several  weeks  next  winter  when  we  have  a 
house  in  Washington,  in  order  to  let  them,  in  their  ad- 
vanced age,  have  the  extreme  pleasure  of  witnessing  the 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  467 

success  of  one  of  their  children.  My  heart  warms  when 
I  think  of  it.  How  I  should  like  to  take  my  old  mother 
and  my  father  to  the  gallery  of  the  Senate  and  let  them 
look  upon  their  son  in  the  highest  position  which  a 
foreign-born  person  can  reach  in  this  country,  and  which 
no  German  before  me  has  attained !  This  pleasure  they 
shall  enjoy  before  they  die.  And  the  manner  in  which 
the  success  was  gained  should  double  their  pride. 

You  see  I  am  swimming  on  the  crest  of  the  wave. 
Only  one  thing  was  lacking :  that  you  were  not  there  to 
see  my  victorious  fight  and  that  you  cannot  be  in  the 
capitol  when  I  take  my  seat  in  the  Senate.  Your  bril- 
liant eyes  would  make  my  triumph  doubly  sweet.  I 
shall  see  them  in  my  dreams. 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  January  24,  1869 
The  formal  election  is  over  and  I  am  duly  appointed 
Senator  of  the  United  States.  There  is  nothing  left  but 
to  be  sworn  in,  which  will  take  place  on  March  4,  the 
inauguration  day  of  General  Grant.  Last  Monday 
evening  I  went  to  Jefferson  City.  Tuesday  was  the 
official  canvass  in  the  legislature,  at  which  I  received  the 
entire  Republican  vote.  Wednesday  at  twelve  the  re- 
sult was  announced  in  the  joint  session  of  the  senate  and 
the  house,  and  I  gave  a  speech  which  received  enthu- 
siastic applause  not  only  from  the  Republicans  but  also 
from  the  Democrats.  At  night  I  returned  to  St.  Louis 
greatly  pleased,  with  the  certificate  of  election  in  my 
pocket.  Last  night  they  gave  me  a  great  torchlight 
procession  here,  which  I  look  upon  as  the  closing  inci- 
dent of  the  senatorial  election.  The  business  went  off 
very  well;  my  words  of  appreciation  were   properly 


468  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

cheered,  and  I  was  glad  when  it  was  all  over.  You  have 
no  conception  of  the  interest  which  the  election  has 
aroused  throughout  the  country.  The  newspapers  were 
full  of  it  and  the  whole  Republican  press  of  the  land 
was  on  my  side.  This  time  the  German  Republican 
press  also  was  unanimous  in  its  recognition  and  its 
joy.  I  know  of  no  exception.  Even  the  Democratic 
papers  with  a  few  exceptions  conducted  themselves  be- 
comingly. Only  Heinzen  scolds  away  lustily  in  the  old 
manner.  My  good  friends  consider  my  election  the  be- 
ginning of  a  new  era  for  Germanism  in  America.  From 
all  parts  of  the  country,  north  and  south,  east  and  west, 
congratulatory  letters  are  flowing  in.  Every  mail 
brings  fifteen  or  twenty.  You  could  see  a  confusion 
of  papers  on  my  writing-desk  now  such  as  was  never  be- 
fore seen  there.  Several  of  the  most  distinguished  men 
of  the  country  have  sent  me  their  congratulations.  The 
telegraph  has  earned  a  nice  sum  of  money  on  my  ac- 
count. For  me  to  answer  all  letters  is  impossible.  Still 
I  shall  have  to  acknowledge  some  forty  or  fifty  of  them. 
My  success  aroused  great  enthusiasm  in  Washington. 
Grant  is  said  to  have  expressed  great  pleasure  over  it. 
I  have  received  invitations  to  dinners  from  Boston  and 
from  New  York.  It  is  possible  I  may  accept  the  latter. 
You  see  I  have  been  celebrating  a  regular  triumph, 
which  will  perhaps  be  renewed  when  I  go  East. 

But  now  comes  the  work.  I  have  decided  to  be  a 
distinguished  Senator,  and  that  involves  a  great  deal. 
Even  at  this  moment  my  correspondence  along  with 
my  regular  editorial  duties  leaves  me  no  free  time.  I 
have  a  couple  of  letters  from  my  parents  which  brought 
tears  to  my  eyes.  My  success  has  made  them  more 
than  happy.    When  I  go  to  Washington  I  shall  make 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  469 

a  side  trip  to  Monee  and  spend  a  day  with  them.     It 
does  my  heart  good  to  witness  their  pride. 

And  here  are  my  voiceless  friends — at  last  the  bag 
with  my  Christmas  gifts  has  arrived.  How  beautiful  it 
all  is !  How  many  dear  gifts !  You  have  indeed  thought 
of  everything.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  February  16,  1869 
I  arrived  here  this  morning  after  a  pretty  hard  trip. 
I  am  very  tired,  but  before  I  go  to  bed  I  must  write  you 
at  least  a  few  lines  because  the  letter  must  go  tomorrow. 
Before  I  left  St.  Louis  I  received  your  letter  and 
the  children's  letters  written  after  the  receipt  of  the  news 
of  my  election.  I  saw  your  joy  over  my  success  shin- 
ing out  of  every  line.  And  I  thank  you  heartily  for  it. 
The  thought  of  how  you  would  rejoice  in  my  victory 
was  with  me  throughout  the  fight.  It  was  the  source 
of  my  inspiration,  and  I  have  enjoyed  it  all  again  in  the 
reading  of  your  letter.  Do  you  recall  how  occasionally, 
in  a  moment  of  depression,  you  gave  me  to  understand 
that  you  felt  as  if  I  were  losing  my  grip  ?  When  I  tried 
to  cheer  you  up  you  would  shake  your  head  and  believe 
me  to  be  mistaken  in  saying  that  my  best  days  were  not 
yet  past.  I  was  right,  was  I  not?  If  one  has  talent,  an 
honest  will,  and  energy,  he  does  not  easily  succumb,  and 
those  days  on  which  a  cloud  shadow  overspreads  the  way 
of  life  merely  serve  to  make  the  returning  sunshine  all 
the  brighter. 

For  the  first  time  since  my  election  I  was  in  the 
Senate  and  in  the  House  of  Representatives.  You  can 
imagine  how  I  was  greeted  by  my  old  friends.  For 
about  half  an  hour  I  was  the  center  of  a  veritable  crowd 


470  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

in  each  house.  Even  the  doorkeepers  insisted  on  shak- 
ing hands  with  me.  Involuntarily  the  recollection  of  my 
first  visit  in  Washington  comes  back  to  me.73  It  was 
just  fifteen  years  ago.  At  that  time  I  made  the  ac- 
quaintance of  two  Senators,  Brodhead  of  Pennsylvania 
and  Shields  of  Illinois.  Of  these  the  first  has  long  since 
died.  The  second  is  now  a  contestant  for  a  seat  in  the 
House.  With  what  a  feeling  of  reverence  I  approached 
the  great  men,  and  how  I  prized  the  honor  when  one  of 
them  invited  me  to  the  floor  of  the  Senate  chamber  dur- 
ing a  session !    Thus  times  change.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

February  17  [1869] 
I  had  got  this  far  last  night  when  my  eyes  drooped 
shut.  This  morning  I  had  visitors  in  my  room  before 
breakfast.  I  intended  to  write  you  more  but  I  reckoned 
without  the  honored  public.  Even  these  closing  words 
are  being  written  in  the  midst  of  a  great  company.  .  .  . 


To  His  Wife 

U.  S.  Senate  Chamber,  Washington 
March  10,  1869 
Today,  for  the  first  time,  I  write  you  from  my  place 
in  the  Senate.  I  sit  in  the  front  row,  in  the  second  seat 
from  the  wall,  to  the  President's  left.  My  right-hand 
neighbor  is  the  former  governor,  Brownlow,  of  Ten- 
nessee, and  my  left-hand  neighbor  is  Senator  Poole  of 
North  Carolina.  Brownlow  is  a  half-paralyzed  old 
man,  who  shakes  constantly;  while  Poole  is  classed  as 

73  Described  contemporaneously  in  two  letters  dated  March  23,  1854. 
Speeches,  etc.,  i,  8-14. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  471 

one  of  the  "clever  fellows."  My  place  I  think  is  very 
good  for  speaking,  but  for  the  present  I  shall  aim  at 
modest  silence. 

This  has  been  an  eventful  week.  Last  Thursday 
was  the  inauguration — a  magnificent  affair,  well  carried 
out.  The  new  Senators  were  sworn  in  in  the  presence 
of  the  diplomatic  corps  and  a  great  crowd,  as  soon  as 
Colfax  had  taken  his  seat  as  vice-president.  Then  came 
the  inaugural  address,  which  you  have  undoubtedly 
read  in  the  newspapers.  The  crowds  were  greater  than 
I  have  ever  seen  them  in  Washington.  It  was  almost 
impossible  to  get  through  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue. 
Then  came  the  cabinet,  which  the  Senate  was  to  con- 
firm the  day  following  the  inauguration.  We  gave  the 
confirmation  without  discussion,  but  it  became  clear  at 
once  that  General  Grant  had  had  every  reason  to  keep 
his  selections  secret,  because  the  most  decided  opposi- 
tion would  have  arisen  against  several  of  the  leading 
men  on  the  list.  Though  the  Senate  showed  a  willing- 
ness to  let  things  take  their  course,  the  matter  was  not 
ended  with  the  confirmation,  and  the  administration  un- 
expectedly found  itself  in  a  cabinet  crisis.  A  law  was 
discovered  which  makes  it  impossible  for  a  merchant, 
particularly  an  importer,  to  be  secretary  of  the  treasury. 
So  A.  T.  Stewart  had  the  alternative  of  divesting  him- 
self of  his  great  business  in  New  York  or  resigning  the 
secretaryship.  Grant,  indeed,  sent  a  message  to  the 
Senate  asking  Congress  to  repeal  the  troublesome  law. 
But  Congress  showed  itself  so  little  disposed  to  do  it 
that  Grant  quickly  saw  his  mistake  and  recalled  his 
message.  As  I  write,  the  crisis  is  not  fully  passed. 
A.  T.  Stewart  offered  to  place  his  business  in  the  hands 
of  trustees  to  be  administered  in  the  public  interest. 


472  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

But  it  seems  that  is  not  satisfactory.  We  shall  prob- 
ably hear  tomorrow  or  the  next  day  how  the  matter 
has  been  concluded. 

Grant  received  a  most  salutary  lesson  in  this  connec- 
tion. He  seemed  to  imagine  that  the  republic  could  be 
governed  somewhat  like  an  army.  His  error  was 
promptly  revealed  to  him,  and  his  ideas  of  parliamen- 
tary government  have  materially  cleared  up  in  three 
days.  I  have  already  had  several  conferences  with  him 
— the  last,  and  a  pretty  long  one,  this  morning — and  he 
is  becoming  steadily  more  cooperative.  Confidence  in 
his  good  will  and  honesty  is  universal  and  great,  but  it 
is  recognized  that  he  has  much  to  learn  in  the  field  of 
politics  and  consequently  such  lessons  as  this  first  one 
are  very  beneficial.  The  matter  looked  quite  threaten- 
ing for  some  days.  Had  he  been  stiff-necked  like  An- 
drew Johnson  we  should  already  be  in  full  tilt  against 
him.  But  he  is  honest  enough  to  see  his  mistakes  and 
manly  enough  to  correct  them  at  once.  I  therefore  be- 
lieve we  shall  get  along  well  together.  I  think  he  has 
already  come  to  the  recognition  that  a  too  personal  man- 
ner of  governing  will  not  do. 

Tomorrow  it  will  be  a  week  since  I  entered  the 
Senate.  And,  though  nothing  has  yet  been  done  in  the 
way  of  law-making,  I  have  nevertheless  been  over- 
whelmed with  work,  almost  more  than  ever  before  in  my 
life.  Almost  every  night  I  sit  at  my  writing-table  till 
one  or  two  o'clock,  merely  to  prevent  my  correspond- 
ence from  swamping  me.  Before  ten  o'clock  in  the 
morning  I  sometimes  receive  twenty-five  to  thirty 
callers ;  then  come  the  visits  to  the  departments,  and  the 
session.  Evenings  after  supper  I  begin  at  once  to 
write. 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  473 

Of  course,  this  is  just  the  worst  time.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  an  administration  the  whole  civil  service  has  to 
be  taken  care  of,  and  that  makes  more  real  drudgery 
than  anything  else.  My  letters  always  come  in  heaps, 
three  times  a  day,  and  there  are  callers  who  cannot  be 
shaken  off  even  by  means  of  incivility.  Next  winter, 
after  the  offices  have  been  parceled  out,  it  will  be  better. 
I  sometimes  get  very  tired,  but  am  quite  well.  I  go 
to  bed  exhausted  but  rise  fresh  in  the  morning.  This 
much  is  certain,  there  is  no  parliamentary  body  in  the 
world  which  has  to  work  harder  than  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States.  When  I  look  back  over  the  past 
week  it  seems  as  if  I  had  been  here  an  entire  year.  .  .  . 

To  Emit  Preetoritcs 

Washington,  March  12,  1869 
You  will  think  me  a  very  lazy  correspondent,  but 
if  you  could  see  how  I  am  plagued  your  anger  would 
soon  turn  to  sympathy.  Every  night  I  work  till  one  or 
two  o'clock,  and  when  my  eyes  through  weariness  close 
involuntarily  or  when  my  back  is  ready  to  break  there 
always  remains  a  mountain  of  letters  to  be  answered.  It 
is  a  horrible  business.  People  come  to  me  from  every 
part  of  the  country.  Sometimes  I  receive  twenty-five 
to  thirty  calls  before  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
throughout  the  day  I  run  around  among  the  depart- 
ments during  the  intervals  between  sessions,  so  that  I 
am  sometimes  ready  to  sink  down  from  exhaustion.  I 
have  hardly  time  to  read  the  newspaper,  let  alone  to 
write  for  it.  The  few  reports  I  have  written  had  to  be 
prepared  in  the  middle  of  the  night.  If  I  have  ever 
been  convinced  of  the  necessity  of  civil  service  reform, 
I  am  so  now.     It  is  positive  drudgery.     Of  course  it 


474  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

will  be  better  when  the  patronage  shall  have  been  par- 
celed out,  but  at  present  it  is  hardly  endurable.  .  .  . 

You  will  have  observed  that  I  am  not  on  the  com- 
mittee of  foreign  affairs.  The  reason  is  that,  although 
all  wanted  me  on  that  committee,  no  vacancy  could  be 
brought  about  except  the  one  caused  by  the  retirement 
of  Bayard,  which  had  to  be  filled  by  the  appointment 
of  another  Democrat.  Every  effort  was  made  to  bring 
about  the  retirement  of  one  of  the  old  members,  but  in 
vain.  And  since  the  striking-out  of  a  name  from  the 
leading  committee  is  held  to  be  a  disgrace,  they  did  not 
want  to  remove  anybody.  The  next  vacancy,  according 
to  the  common  understanding,  will  be  mine.  .  .  . 

Good-night.  With  hearty  greetings  to  all  your  dear 
ones  and  to  Mrs.  Pfeil. 


To  His  Wife 

Washington,  March  20,  1869 
This  is  the  first  time  I  have  allowed  a  post  to  go 
three  days  overtime  without  writing.  But  it  is  literally 
true  that  I  was  too  overloaded  to  be  able  to  talk  with 
you  in  reasonable  quiet.  First,  there  are  the  office  seek- 
ers, who  continually  swarm  around  me  like  grasshop- 
pers; second,  my  correspondence,  which  it  is  hardly 
possible  any  longer  to  take  care  of ;  and  third,  the  study 
of  a  problem  about  which  I  made  my  maiden  speech  in 
the  Senate  yesterday.  It  relates  to  the  repeal  or  sus- 
pension of  the  law  fixing  the  duration  of  terms  of  office, 
which  makes  the  removal  of  officials  dependent  upon  the 
approval  of  the  Senate.  I  spoke  some  twenty-five 
minutes  after  an  earnest  debate  had  already  been  going 
forward  for  a  long  time.     No  one  in  the  Senate  was 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  475 

listened  to  with  better  attention ;  and  when  I  closed,  the 
Senators,  particularly  the  old  ones,  pressed  about  my 
seat  to  shake  hands  with  me.  My  little  speech  could 
not,  considering  the  subject,  be  especially  important, 
but  it  contained  thoughts  which  were  still  new  to  the  de- 
bate and  it  scourged  in  a  few  striking  sentences  the  syc- 
ophants who  now  beleaguer  the  White  House  and  try  to 
seize  possession  from  Grant.  My  success  was  perfect 
and  my  marquis,  who  of  course  looked  on  from  the  gal- 
lery, was  wholly  satisfied  with  me.  I  am  sending  you, 
by  this  same  mail,  the  number  of  the  Congressional 
Globe  which  contains  my  speech.  You  will  see  from  it 
how  I  handled  the  question. 

Not  much  can  be  said  as  yet  about  Grant's  adminis- 
tration. He  has  so  far  gained  but  little  credit  through 
his  appointments,  for  he  shows  a  disposition  to  give 
offices  to  all  his  relatives  and  to  a  great  number  of  old 
personal  friends,  and  in  these  instances  to  consult  the 
members  of  Congress  very  little.  That  makes  bad  blood 
here  and  there.  As  regards  the  greater  political  ques- 
tions, he  shows  a  tendency  to  hold  with  great  loyalty  to 
the  program  of  the  Republican  party,  and  that  of  course 
is  the  main  thing.  Everything  indicates  a  determination 
at  all  costs  to  avoid  a  conflict  with  Congress,  and  so  we 
shall  doubtless  get  along  well  with  him.  Following 
my  speech  yesterday  I  was  made  a  member  of  the  joint 
committee  on  retrenchment,  to  which  will  fall  the  duty 
of  dealing  with  the  principal  questions  of  reform.  That 
is  exactly  what  I  wanted,  and  I  shall  make  civil  service 
reform,  one  of  the  weightiest  questions  coming  before 
us,  my  specialty.  It  was  unpleasant  for  me  not  to  get 
on  the  committee  of  foreign  relations,  on  which  no  va- 
cancy occurred.    It  was  generally  recognized  that  I  be- 


476  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

longed  on  that  committee,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  as 
soon  as  a  place  is  open  I  shall  be  given  it. 

Otherwise  my  life  is  as  I  described  it  in  my  earlier 
letters.  It  is  to  be  hoped  the  pressure  of  office  seekers 
will  soon  abate.  But  the  mass  of  correspondence  always 
remains  the  same.  How  nice  it  will  be  when  Handy 
[Agathe]  can  help  me  with  it.  .  .  .  With  the  old  and 
ever  young  love. 

To  His  Wife 

Washington,  April  12,  1869 
At  last  there  is  a  little  respite.  The  first  session  of 
the  Forty-first  Congress  closed  last  Saturday,  but  the 
Senate  was  immediately  called  into  executive  session 
for  the  purpose  of  confirming  appointments,  and  so  we 
shall  be  here  another  week  or  two.  But  at  least  we  have 
no  law-making  to  do.  Before  the  adjournment  we  had 
a  night  session  which  lasted  till  four-fifteen  in  the  morn- 
ing. We  are  still  frightfully  overrun,  although  the  num- 
ber of  office  seekers  in  the  city  has  lessened.  But  those 
who  remained  here  have  become  all  the  more  nervous 
and  give  us  no  peace.  Never  have  I  been  more  strongly 
convinced  that  an  end  must  be  put  to  the  present  sys- 
tem of  appointments.  I  am  very  glad  to  have  been 
made  a  member  of  the  committee  on  retrenchment, 
which  will  have  the  civil  service  question  in  hand.  I 
have  several  good  ideas  which  I  shall  incorporate  in  one 
or  more  bills  and  get  them  adopted  in  the  next  session 
of  Congress.  Here  is  a  great  field  and  I  hope  to  become 
the  leader  of  reform  in  the  Senate.  The  sort  of  talent 
I  have  is  as  if  ready-made  for  this  problem.  Civil 
service  reform  will  be  one  of  the  most  hotly  contested 
of  the  coming  discussions,  and  I  have  some  eight  months 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  477 

before  me  to  prepare  for  it.  The  success  of  this  move- 
ment will  be  a  greater  blessing  for  the  country  than 
the  discovery  of  the  richest  gold  mines.  It  is  "worth 
the  sweat  of  the  noble."  On  that  subject  I  shall  prob- 
ably deliver  two  long  speeches  which  I  hope  to  make 
among  the  best  achievements  of  my  whole  life,  and  I 
shall  have  you  and  the  children  in  the  gallery  to  listen 
to  me.    In  that  I  rejoice  most  heartily.  .  .  . 

To  His  Wife 

St.  Louis,  May  30,  1869 
.  .  .  The  draft  of  my  civil  service  reform  bill  is  al- 
most finished,  and  also  the  rough  sketch  of  a  portion  of 
the  main  speech  on  this  business.  I  expect  to  find  suffi- 
cient leisure  to  work  the  thing  through  properly.  Then, 
I  am  studying  several  questions  of  international  law 
in  order  to  prepare  myself  for  the  discussion  of  our  re- 
lations with  England,  which  undoubtedly  we  shall  have 
next  winter.  But  the  civil  service  reform  is  closest  to 
my  heart.  The  main  point  I  want  to  establish  by  my  bill 
is  to  avoid  the  quadrennial  scandal  of  universal  office 
hunting,  to  deal  out  the  offices  according  to  ability  and 
deserts  instead  of  political  and  personal  favoritism,  and 
thus  provide  for  the  republic  an  honest  and  economical 
administration  and  cleanse  our  political  life  of  the  cor- 
rupting element  of  office  seeking.  The  method  through 
which  I  wish  to  obtain  this  object  consists  in  this:  that 
every  candidate  for  an  office,  before  he  shall  be  ap- 
pointed, must  submit  to  a  test  before  an  examining  com- 
mission, and  that  during  the  term  of  office  (which  is  to 
be  lengthened)  no  officers  are  to  be  removed  except  for 
inefficiency,  neglect  of  duty,  or  violation  of  law.  The 
means  which  I  have  formulated  in  my  bill  will,  as  I  be- 


478  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

lieve,  fully  suffice  to  root  out  the  scandal  and  make  the 
official  business  of  the  republic  respectable  once  more. 
If  I  succeed  in  getting  this  bill  through,  I  shall  have 
performed  an  important  service  to  the  country.  .  .  . 

To  Adolf  Meyer 

St.  Louis,  August  10,  1869 
I  ought  to  have  written  to  you  long  ago,  but  unless 
one  corresponds  regularly  there  is  a  temptation  to  wait 
for  an  opportunity,  although  such  ought  not  to  be  nec- 
essary. But  I  have  found  such  an  opportunity,  namely, 
a  commission  which  I  beg  you  to  have  executed  by  Ilen- 
ning.  Since  we  took  leave  of  each  other  on  the  steamer 
Germania,  which,  as  I  learned  today  by  telegraph,  has 
suffered  shipwreck,  I  have  lived  through  a  good  deal. 
I  am  sure  my  election  to  the  Senate  pleased  you.  I  am 
not  ashamed  to  say  the  career  which  has  thereby  opened 
to  me  has  for  years  been  the  object  of  my  ambition. 
The  American  Senate  is  a  field  in  which  every  ability 
can  be  employed  and  something  solid  can  be  accom- 
plished for  this  country  and  for  the  world.  No  parlia- 
mentary assembly  in  the  world  offers  more  brilliant  op- 
portunities, a  nobler  incitement,  and  more  extended 
power.  If  I  do  not  accomplish  something  there  it  will 
be  my  own  fault,  and  I  can  go  back  home  in  shame. 

Moreover,  I  have  entered  upon  this  career  under 
particularly  favorable  circumstances.  My  newspaper 
business  has  answered  all  my  expectations.  In  two 
years'  time  I  have  paid  off  all  of  my  original  investment 
and  have  a  surplus  for  wiping  out  old  debts.  My  sena- 
torial duties  do  not  affect  my  business,  and  so  I  find 
myself  in  possession  of  a  very  honorable  and  influential 
position  and  at  the  same  time  for  my  needs  an  abundant 


INTIMATE  LETTERS  OF  CARL  SCHURZ  479 

income  from  which,  beginning  next  winter,  with  ap- 
propriate living  I  can  lay  by  a  nice  sum  yearly.  This 
summer  our  newspaper  is  indeed  somewhat  affected  by 
the  universal  dull  times,  but  only  to  the  extent  that  our 
annual  return  will  still  show  more  than  fifty  per  cent 
of  our  capital  as  profit — and  these  dull  times  are  only 
temporary.  I  certainly  have  cause  to  be  satisfied  with 
my  fate. 

Of  course,  my  new  position  lays  upon  me  new  duties. 
I  am  obliged  to  work  pretty  hard,  not  only  to  be  pre- 
pared for  the  problems  of  the  day  but  also  to  bridge 
over  old  gaps.  If  I  had  a  son  I  could  give  him  very 
proper  preachments  about  the  value  of  youth  time  for 
learning.  My  active  life  has  often  prevented  me  from 
making  fundamental  studies  and,  to  use  a  university 
expression,  I  have  to  cram  to  make  up  and,  in  fact,  cram 
with  the  examination  constantly  on  my  neck.  I  have 
accomplished  a  good  deal  already  this  spring  and  sum- 
mer, but  the  deeper  I  go  the  more  clearly  I  see  the  ex- 
tent of  the  gaps.  The  enclosed  sheets  contain  lists  of 
books  which  for  the  most  part  are  no  longer  to  be  had 
in  regular  book  stores  and  which  I  have  taken  from  the 
catalogues  of  antiquarians.  When  you  look  them  up 
you  will  doubtless  wonder  about  the  subjects.  Aside 
from  general  historical  works  they  are  mostly  works 
with  a  national  economic  and  diplomatic  content,  and 
books  about  East  India,  China,  and  Japan.  Questions 
of  political  science  will  now  play  a  particularly  im- 
portant role  in  our  politics.  Our  diplomatic  affairs, 
with  which  the  Senate  has  much  to  do,  naturally  be- 
long to  my  special  field,  and  since  through  the  rapid 
development  of  our  Pacific  coast  we  shall  soon  have 
very  definite  and  important  diplomatic  and  trade  re- 


480  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

lations  with  Asia,  I  want  to  make  particularly  intensive 
studies  of  those  countries,  for  which  I  shall  require  all 
the  material  I  may  be  able  to  collect.  I  will,  therefore, 
ask  you  to  place  the  enclosed  slips  in  the  hands  of  Hen- 
ning,  who  is  a  great  book  lover  and  has  had  much  to  do 
with  such  things.  .  .  . 

I  had  almost  forgotten  that  you  do  not  like  to  read 
long  letters.  This  is  (with  the  exception  of  my  letters 
to  Margarethe)  the  longest  I  have  written  for  years, 
and  unless  it  is  all  read  I  would  have  to  say,  "Love's 
labor's  lost."  When  shall  I  hear  from  you  again?  I 
will  answer  regularly,  as  long  or  as  short  as  you  like. 
But  rather,  far  rather,  would  I  see  you  here  in  your  own 
person.  Talk  it  over  with  Marie,  and  both  accept  heart- 
iest greeting  from  your  brother-in-law  and  friend. 


INDEX 


INDEX 


Acosta,  Uriel,  36. 

Adams,  Charles  Francis,  in  England, 

267. 
Althaus,  Charlotte,  188-189. 
Althaus,    Frederick,    letters    to,    vi, 

113-116,    159,    162,    171,    188,    263, 

266,  338. 
Althaus,  Mrs.  Frederick  (I),  death, 

162. 
Anneke,  Fritz,  189;  wife,  72. 

Ashley,  ,  369. 

Atlantic  cable,  service,  366,  410. 
Atlantic  Monthly,  contributor,  239, 

371. 
Augusta    (Mo.),   described,  380-383. 

Ballert,  Dr.  M.,  86. 

Bancroft,  George,  411,  416. 

Banks,  Gen.  Nathaniel  P.,  272. 

Barnard,  Henry,  University  chancel- 
lor, 206,  211;  Schurz  visits,  213. 

Barnard,  Mrs.  Henry,  letter,  211. 

Barstow,  William  A.,  at  Charleston 
convention,  207. 

Bath   (111.),  Schurz  visits,  215. 

Bayard,  Sen.  Thomas  F.,  474 

Beardstown  (111.),  Schurz  visits, 
215-216. 

Belle-Plaine  (Minn.),  Schurz  visits, 
198. 

Belleville  (111.),  Schurz  visits,  216. 

Berlin  (Germany),  Schurz  visits, 
419-424,  426;  early  impressions, 
87-90. 

Bethlehem  (Pa.),  Schurz  family  at, 
222,  281,  354;  Schurz  visits,  222. 

Bingham,  John  A.,  at  Johnson's  im- 
peachment trial,  432,  434. 

Bismarck,  Prince  Otto  von,  inter- 
views Schurz,  420-421,  422-424; 
characterized,  364,  421,  423,  426. 

Blaine,  James  G.,  Schurz  opposes,  ix. 

Blair,  Frank  P.,  meets  Schurz,  200. 

Block,  ,  26. 

Bolton,  Nathaniel,  at  Indianapolis, 
124. 

Bolton,  Sarah,  home,  124. 

Bonn  University,  Schurz  at,  20-22, 
25-56,  108. 


Booneville  (Mo.),  in  Civil  War,  402; 
Schurz  visits,  400-404. 

Booth,  Sherman,  case  against,  208- 
209. 

Boston  (Mass.),  Schurz  speech  at, 
191. 

Boutwell,  George  S.,  at  Johnson's 
impeachment  trial,  432. 

Brachvogel,  Udo,  at  St.  Louis,  386; 
brother,  396. 

Brocklemann, ,  aids  Kinkel,  142. 

Brodhead,  Sen.  Richard,  470. 

Brownlow,  Sen.  William  G.,  470. 

Bruchsal  (Germany),  Schurz  at,  60, 
71. 

Briining,  Baron  von,  177-178. 

Buchanan,  President  James,  admin- 
istration, 184,  237. 

Bucher,  Lothar,  411,  416. 

Bull  Run.     See  Manassas. 

Burschenschaft  Franconia,  at  Uni- 
versity of  Bonn,  20-21;  "social 
work,"  45;  described,  30-32. 

Butler,  Gen.  Benjamin  F.,  at  John- 
son's impeachment  trial,  432. 

Canby,  Gen.  Edward  R.  S.,  troops, 
321 ;  Schurz  visits,  348,  349. 

Canitz,  Count,  24. 

Chancellorsville  (Va.),  battle  at, 
296,  397-398. 

Charleston  (S.  C),  Democratic  na- 
tional convention  at,  207. 

Chase,  Salmon  P.,  Ohio  governor, 
243,  244;  presidential  possibility, 
388;   characterized,   433. 

Chicago  (111.),  in  1854,  128-134; 
Schurz  speech,  186;  1868  Republi- 
can national  convention,  436-438; 
solders'  reunion,  456-457. 

Chittenden,  ,  375. 

Cincinnati  (O.),  in  1854,  124-126. 

Civil  service,  Schurz's  reform  bill, 
476-478. 

Civil  War,  Schurz  in,  272-338; 
Grant,  314,  316,  319-321,  325-326; 
battle  at  Chancellorsville,  296; 
Gettysburg,  296;  Manassas,  265- 
266,  270,  296;  Eastern  campaign, 
272-279 ;  Army  of  the  Cumberland, 


484 


INDEX 


287,  296-297;  Sherman's  campaign, 
320-321,  343;  Western  army  re- 
organized, 309,  321;  in  Missouri, 
387,  402,  435;  North  Carolina,  327- 
334;  Tennessee,  289,  291-300;  Vet- 
eran Corps,  315-316,  318,  320,  324- 
325;  Confederate  army,  321-322, 
327;  Sigel's  headquarters,  276-277; 
draft,  282;  finances,  323-324; 
ended,  327,  339-340;  soldiers'  re- 
union, 456-457. 

Clay,  Cassius  M.,  242,  252. 

Colfax,  Schuyler,  369,  437,  471. 

Cologne  (Germany),  Gymnasium  at, 
1-25,  42,  282-283;  riot,  22-24. 

Columbus,  land  near,  149-150. 

Crocker,  Hans,  Milwaukee  resident, 
227. 

Croxton,  Gen.  John  T.,  348. 

Damm,  ,  165. 

Democratic  party,  at  St.  Paul,  202; 
Charleston  convention,  207;  in 
1860    national    election,    207-231; 

loses    Germans,    214,    216-218;    in 

1860     state     elections,     223;      at 

Watertown,  229,  303;  Boston,  233; 

in    1867   state  elections,  407,  409, 

412,  414-415;  in  Connecticut,  431. 
Detroit    (Mich.),   in    1866,    361-362; 

newspaper,  357-359,  361-362;  fire, 

x. 
Detroit    Daily    Post,    Schurz    edits, 

357-359,  361-363,  366. 
District    of    Columbia,    suffrage    in, 

357. 
Dixon,  Luther  S.,  judicial  candidate, 

209. 

Dolder,  ,  84. 

Doolittle,    James    R.,    confers    with 

Schurz,  232;  writes  Schurz,  236. 
Dornachbruck  (Switzerland),  Schurz 

at,  67-71. 
Douglas,  Stephen  A.,  at  New  York, 

212 ;  Watertown,  228,  229 ;  opposed 

by  Schurz,  205,  206,  221. 
Drake,  Charles  D.,  Missouri  Senator, 

443;  opposes  Schurz,  451,  458-466. 

Edlibach,  ,  78. 

Eisenach  (Germany),  student  con- 
gress, 49. 

Eleventh  Army  Corps,  commander. 
301;  losses,  296;  sketch,  397-398. 


Emancipation   Proclamation,  issued, 

279. 
Erbschloh,  Frau,  68. 
d'Ester,  ,  165. 

Fairchild,  Gov.  Lucius,  at  Milwau- 
kee, 412. 

Falkenthal,  Dr.  Ferdinand,  trial,  88, 
140-141. 

Fifteenth  Army  Corps,  reviewed, 
333. 

Fletcher,  Gov.  Thomas  C,  at  St. 
Louis,  858. 

Fond  du  Lac,  on  railroad,  170; 
Schurz  visits,  203. 

Fort  Snelling  (Minn.),  described, 
194-195. 

Forty-eighters,  in  Missouri,  387. 

Fourteenth  Army  Corps,  com- 
mander, 832. 

Franconia.  See  Burschenschaft 
FrancofUa. 

Free-Soil  party,  in  Congress,  161. 

Fremont,  John  C,  265,  272,  303,  307. 

Froebel,  Julius,  married,  161. 

Fuchs,  Dr.  John  P.,  206. 

Geahy,  Gen.  John  W.,  in  Civil  War, 
299. 

Genth,  Dr. ,  419. 

Georgia,  Army  of,  Schurz  com- 
mands, 332;  post-war  conditions, 
344-348. 

German  Revolutionary  Confedera- 
tion, formed,  117;  fails,  119. 

Germans,  in  Michigan,  362;  Mis- 
souri, 380-383,  387,  395-396,  402- 
404,  466;  New  England,  312;  Cin- 
cinnati, 124;  Detroit,  361,  Indian- 
apolis, 125-126;  Milwaukee,  139, 
151;  New  York,  446;  support  Fre- 
mont, 174;  in  Democratic  party, 
180;  in  1860  election,  214,  216-219, 
224;  oppose  negro  suffrage,  435; 
attitude  toward  prohibition,  389- 
390,  399,  412;  Sunday  laws,  147, 
389-390,  415;  at  "Saturday  din- 
ner," 454;  amusements,  143,  147, 
151,  385-386,  394,  403;  character- 
ized, 19,  89-90,  150,  184,  284,  285, 
387. 

Germany,  schools,  6,  20-32;  student 
associations,  26-27,  29-36,  39-41, 
44-48;  riots,  22-24;  revolution  of 
1848-1849,    49-50,    60-67,    76,    100, 


INDEX 


485 


108,  120;  national  loan,  105,  118- 
119,  142;  Franco-Prussian  War, 
363-366;  Mrs.  Schurz  visits,  256- 
258,  375,  388,  410,  415-430;  Schurz 
visits,  417-424,  426. 

Gerstacker,  Frederick,  ( writer ) 
396-397. 

Gill,  Charles  R.,  Wisconsin  state 
senator,  229. 

Gillmore,  Gen.  Quincy  A.,  in  South 
Carolina,  343-344. 

Glover,  Joshua  (negro)  case  of,  208. 

Gogg,   ....,  117. 

Grant,  Ulysses  S.,  in  Civil  War, 
314,  316,  319,  320,  325-326,  356;  in 
Johnson's  cabinet,  388,  392-893, 
431;  presidential  possibility,  408, 
409,  433;  nominated,  437;  inaugu- 
rated, 471;  cabinet,  471-472; 
policy,  475;  at  soldiers'  reunion, 
457;  characterized,  457-458,  472. 

Greeley,  Horace,  212,  250,  409. 

Griebel,  ,  36. 

Grimes,  Sen.  James  W.,  250. 

Grow,  Galusha  A.,  Pennsylvania 
Congressman,  197,  199,  440-441. 

Gruyter,  Walter  de,  aid  acknowl- 
edged, xi. 

Grysar, ,  6,  28. 

Gully,  Dr.  ,  164. 

Guthrie,  Sen.  James,  249. 

Hadley,  Jackson,  in  Democratic 
convention,  207. 

Hahn,  Gov.  Michael,  at  New  Or- 
leans, 851. 

Hancock,  Gen.  Winfield  S.,  receives 
Schurz,  315-316;  Veteran  Corps, 
318,  324-325;  presidential  possi- 
bility, 438. 

Harvey,  Louis  P.,  at  Sheboygan, 
203 ;  secretary  of  state,  245 ;  popu- 
larity, 205. 

Havana  (111.),  Schurz  visits,  215. 

Hecker,  Frederick,  German  revo- 
lutionist, 132;  in  Illinois,  127,  132- 
133,  135-137,  216;  at  St.  Louis,  397; 
sketch,  132. 

Heim,  ,  26,  27. 

Heinzen,  Carl,  468. 

Henderson,  John  B.,  Missouri  Sen- 
ator, 442-444;  opposes  Schurz,  458- 
460. 

Henderson  (Minn.),  Schurz  visits, 
200. 


Henning,  ,  478. 

Herborn,  ,  44. 

Hering,  Dr.  ,  226. 

Herzen,  Alexander,  173,  189. 

Hess,  Mrs. ,  82,  83. 

Hilton,  ,  463-464. 

Hittorf,  H.,  76,  77,  83. 

Hobart,  Harrison  C,  debates  with 
Schurz,  203. 

Hoffman,  Major  ,  273,  276. 

Honing,  ,  79. 

Holscher, ,  4. 

Hooker,  Gen.  Joseph,  accuses 
Schurz,  299-300,  301,  309;  charac- 
terized, 280. 

Howard,  Maj.  Gen.  O.  O.,  supports 
Schurz,  354. 

Howe,  James  H.,  popularity,  205. 

Howe,  Timothy  O.,  confers  with 
Schurz,  232. 

Hunter,  William,  336. 

Illinois,  Schurz  visits,  213-217,  247- 

248. 
Indiana,  Schurz  visits,  121,  125-127, 

209;    political    speeches,    217-219, 

223,  225-227. 
Indianapolis  (Ind.),  in  1854,  125-126. 

Jackson,  John,  at  Watertown,  147, 
148-149;  sells  land  to  Schurz,  152- 
153,  156,  414. 

Jacobi,  Dr.  Abraham,  Schurz  visits, 
213. 

Johnson,  Andrew,  interviews  Schurz, 
335-336,  337;  sends  Schurz  to 
study  post-war  South,  341-342; 
policy,  350-351,  365,  383;  opposes 
Schurz,  354,  359;  in  campaign  of 
1866,  369;  removes  cabinet  mem- 
bers, 388;  removes  Sheridan,  388, 
390;  impeachment,  409-410,  415, 
429,  431-432,  434,  438;  message, 
456;  characterized,  340,  347-348, 
391-393,  399,  415,  472. 

Johnston,  Gen.  Joseph  E.,  in  Civil 
War,  327,  331,  332,  337. 

Jonesville,  Schurz  at,  143. 

Jussen,  Antonie  Schurz,  home,  386; 
Schurz  visits,  404-405,  414,  439; 
characterized,  405;  sketch,  95; 
husband,  95,  279.  See  also  An- 
tonie Schurz. 


486 


INDEX 


Jiissen,  Edmund,  at  St.  Paul,  131, 
140;  in  Civil  War,  278,  279;  wife, 
95. 

Jiissen,  Herbert,  passport,  80,  84,  86, 
141-142. 

Jiissen,  Jacob,  at  Watertown,  137, 
139-140,  143,  413;  at  Chicago  con- 
vention, 438. 

Kamm,  ,  79. 

Kapp,  ,  375,  430. 

Kilpatrick,  Col.  Hugh  J.,  at  Raleigh, 
331-332. 

King,  Gen.  Rufus,  in  Civil  War,  276. 

Kinkel,  Gottfried,  edits  newspaper, 
52-55;  member  of  Prussian  Diet, 
53;  death  sentence,  62-63,  70; 
liberation,  84,  90-94,  141;  hard- 
ships, 102;  visits  America,  105-106; 
aids  German  national  loan,  105- 
106,  142;  literary  work,  166;  pic- 
ture received,  390;  home,  95,  159; 
wife,  95,  96-97;  letter,  93;  letters 
to,  vi,  52,  118,  140,  164,  175,  182, 
185,  189,  424. 

Kinkel,  Johanna,  befriends  Antonie 
Schurz,  95,  96-97;  death,  189;  let- 
ter to,  96. 

Know-Nothing  party,  in  New  York, 
144;  divided,  145-146. 

Kossuth,  Louis,  agitator,  119;  in 
England,   106,   116;  America,  114. 

Kreissman,  ,  234. 

Kribben,  ,  131-132. 

La  Crosse,  on  railroad,  192. 

Landolt,  Madame,  74. 

Larrabee,  Charles  H.,  at  St.  Paul, 
193,  202. 

Lee,  Gen.  Robert  E.,  army,  321-322, 
325,  327;  capitulates,  331. 

Lehmann,  Dr.  ,  97,  101,  102. 

Lexington  (Minn.),  Schurz  visits, 
197-199. 

Liblar  (Germanv),  Schurz  family 
at,  1-2. 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  writes  Schurz, 
206 ;  characterizes  Schurz,  226 ;  ap- 
points Schurz  minister  to  Spain, 
252;  memorial  service,  334;  char- 
acterized, 236-237,  240,  241,  243, 
247,  251,  309,  340. 

Lincoln,  Mrs.  Abraham,  character- 
ized, 326-327. 


Loan,     Gen.     Benjamin,     senatorial 

candidate,  452,  458-464. 
Longfellow,       Henry       Wadsworth, 

Schurz  visits,  190. 

Lowe,  Dr.  ,  177,  178. 

Lukas, ,  24. 

McAxEisrr,  George,  aid  acknowl- 
edged, v,  vii,  xi. 

McClellan,  Gen.  George  B.,  char- 
acterized, 277. 

Madison,  Schurz  visits,  205-207,  317- 
318;  Republican  state  convention, 
207-208. 

Madrid  (Spain),  described,  262. 

Manassas  (Va.),  battle,  257,  265, 
270,  285;  losses,  296. 

Manitowoc,   Schurz  visits,  203. 

Mankato  (Minn.),  Schurz  visits,  199- 
200. 

Massachusetts,  Schurz  lectures  in, 
191,  204-205;  on  temperance,  415. 

Meier,  ,  85. 

Meusser,  ,  29. 

Meyer,  ,  83. 

Meyer,  Adolf,  at  Montreux,  390,  391 ; 
message  for,  416;  Schurz  visits, 
422 ;  Mrs.  Schurz  visits,  446 ;  sister, 
107;  wife,  418,  480;  letters  to,  107, 
186,  256,  267,  419,  478. 

Meyer,  Emilie,  at  Montreux,  167- 
169;  husband,  419. 

Meyer,  H.  C.  Jr.,  at  Hamburg,  416. 

Meyer,  Henry,  at  Montreux,  160, 
167-169;  comes  to  America,  254, 
255;  message  for,  416;  character- 
ized, 160,  168;  sister,  167;  wife, 
167,  168;  letters  to,  178-181,  320, 
418,  422. 

Meyer,  Margarethe.  See  Margarethe 
Meyer  Schurz. 

Meyer,  Marie,  husband,  418,  480. 

Miller,  ,  413. 

Milwaukee,  in  1854-1855,  138-139, 
148;  Music  Society,  151;  news- 
papers, 209,  232,  253-254;  Schurz 
removes  to,  186-187;  in  1860  elec- 
tion, 210,  230,  232;  reception  for 
Schurz,  227-228;  in  1867,  414. 

Milwaukee  News,  threatened,  253- 
254. 

Milwaukee  Seebote,  threatened,  253- 
254. 

Milwaukee  Sentinel,  cited,  209,  232. 

Minnesota,  roads  in,  198-199;  Schurz 
visits,   192-202. 


INDEX 


487 


Mississippi  River,  Schurz  travels  on, 
134,  192-193,  248-249,  379-380. 

Missouri,  Germans  in,  380-383,  387, 
466;  Schurz  in,  374-469;  in  Civil 
War,  387;  negro  suffrage,  449; 
Senators  from,  442-443,  467-480; 
senatorial  contest,  450-467. 

Missouri  River,  described,  134,  379- 
380,  382. 

Mitchell,  Alexander,  Milwaukee  resi- 
dent, 227. 

Monee  (111.),  Schurz's  relatives  at, 
386,  404^05,  453. 

Montreux  (Switzerland),  Schurz 
visits,  159-169;  described,  167-168. 

Mordes,  ,  widow,  161. 

Morgan,  B.  Q.,  aid  acknowledged, 
x,  8. 

Morgan,  Edwin  D.,  New  York  gov- 
ernor, 212-213. 

Morgan,  Johanna  Rossberg,  aid 
acknowledged,  x. 

Mower,  Maj.  Gen.  Joseph  A.,  329. 

Mtiller,  ,  44. 

Munch  brothers,  380-382. 


311-313,  359-360;  characterized,  40- 
41;  son,  370;  letters  to,  2-50,  56, 
57,  282,  286,  293,  294,  300,  303-314, 
318,  355,  356,  359,  361,  365,  366, 
370,  371,  375,  385,  416,  427,  430. 

Pfeffer,  ,  395. 

Pfeil,  Mrs.  ,  474. 

Philadelphia  (Pa.),  Schurz  speeches 
at,  223,  368,  369-370;  Southern 
Convention,  367-368. 

Plymouth,  Schurz  visits,  203. 

Poole,  Sen.  John,  470-471. 

Pope,  Gen.  John,  278. 

Port  Washington,  Schurz  visits,  229. 

Portage,  Schurz  visits,  413. 

Potter,  John  F.,  230,  232,  234. 

Preetorius,  Dr.  Emil,  Schurz's  part- 
ner, 373-374,  377,  386,  393,  432, 
443;  visits  Augusta,  Mo.,  379-382; 
home,  398,  458 ;  letters  to,  463,  473. 

Prohibition,  in  Massachusetts,  415; 
New  York,  144-145;  attitude  of 
Germans,  389-390,  412,  415 ;  of  Re- 
publican party,  398-399. 

Piitz,  Professor  ,  6,  24,  30. 


Nattmann,  ,  6,  24. 

Neusser,  ,  51. 

New  Hampshire,  Schurz  visits,  204. 
New  Orleans  (La.),  after  Civil  War, 

349-350. 
North  Carolina,  in  Civil  War,  327- 

334. 

Ohio  River,  Schurz  travels  on,  123- 
124. 

Olshausen,  (publisher),  439. 

Otterburg,  ,  250,  254. 

Overbeck,  Johannes  B.,  at  Bonn 
University,  21,  25-26,  28;  with- 
draws from  Franconia,  48-49; 
characterized,  33-36,  38-39. 

Paine,  Halbert  E.,  Schurz's  law 
partner,  187;  nominated  for  city 
attorneyship,  209-210;  loses  ap- 
pointment, 252;  in  Civil  War,  253. 

Pekin    (111.),    Schurz   visits,   215. 

Pennsylvania,  described,  121-123;  in 
1860  election,  211,  222-226. 

Petrasch,  Theodore,  home,  4,  7; 
school  days,  4,  11-12,  20-22,  28-30, 
282-283;  leaves  Bonn,  42-43;  liter- 
ary efforts,  9;  comes  to  America, 
vi,    293-296;     insurance    business, 


Quincy  (111.),  Schurz  visits,  213- 
214. 

Racine,  Schurz  visits,  411. 

Railroads,  in  early  Wisconsin,  142- 
143,  170,  172,  192. 

Randall,  Alexander  W.,  Wisconsin 
governor,  194,  205-206;  opposed 
by  Schurz,  232;  attitude  toward 
peace  conference,  244-246. 

Rass,  ,  76. 

Rastatt  (Germany),  besieged,  58-67; 
Schurz  escapes,  67;  Christian 
Schurz  at,  71-72. 

Raveaux,  Franz,  23. 

Reichenbach,  Count,  27. 

Reimer,  Georg,  publishes  Schurz's 
memoirs,  vi;  successor,  xi. 

Rentrup,  Diedrich,  74. 

Republican  party,  nominates  Schurz, 
183-184;  Illinois  committee,  186; 
corruption,  208;  wins  Germans, 
214,  216-219,  224,  228 ;  in  1860  elec- 
tion, 210,  230-231;  in  Missouri, 
387;  losses,  399;  in  1867  election, 
406-409,  411,  414-415;  1868,  419, 
435-437,  440-442,  448 ;  favors  John- 
son's impeachment,  429 ;  character- 
ized, 240. 


488 


INDEX 


Richmond  (Va.),  surrenders,  327. 

Roads,  in  early  Wisconsin,  189; 
Minnesota,  198-199. 

Ronge,  Mrs.  ,  115. 

Rosecrans,  Gen.  William  S.,  de- 
feated, 287. 

Ross,  Sen.  Edmund  G.,  438. 

Rothe,  Emil,  at  St.  Paul,  193-194; 
Watertown,  146,  228-229;  debates 
with  Schurz,  202. 

Rublee,  Horace,  227,  372. 

Saal, ,  24. 

Sack,  Max,  49. 

St.   Louis    (Mo.),  in    1854,   134-135; 

Schurz  visits,  217 ;  buys  newspaper, 

358-359,    373-374,    419;     Sheridan 

visits,    393-395;    in    1868    election, 

447. 
St.    Louis    Westliche    Post,    Schurz 

buys   interest,   373-377,   384;   suc- 
cess, 419. 
St.   Paul    (Minn.),  Edmund  Jiissen 

visits,    131,    140;    Schurz,    193-194, 

201-202. 
Salm,  Prince,  346. 
"Saturday   dinner,"   organized,   453- 

454. 

Scheck, ,  196. 

Scheffer, ;  199. 

Schetteler  family,  1. 

Schiffer,   Anna    Schurz,    home,   386; 

husband,    453.       See    also    Anna 

Schurz. 
Schiffer,    August,    attends    meeting, 

453;  wife,  386. 
Schimmelfennig,      Col.      Alexander, 

255. 

Schinkowski,  ,  401,  403. 

Schirrmacher,  ,  26-27. 

Schmidt, ,  26. 

Schmidt,  Julius,  astronomer,  27. 

Schmitz, ,  76. 

Schofield,    Gen.    John    McA.,    joins 

Sherman,  322. 

Schulze-Delitsch, ,  420. 

Schurz,  Agathe,  at  Bethlehem,  Pa., 

222;  education,  289-290,  400,  411, 

435-436;  described,  168,  175;  edits 

father's  letters,  vi;  letters  to,  289, 

435,  444. 
Schurz,    Anna,    greetings    for,    103, 

107,    263;    letter,    111.      See    also 

Anna  Schurz  Schiffer. 
Schurz,    Antonie,    in    Kinkel    home, 


95-97,  102;  comes  to  America,  95; 
brother,  80;  husband,  95,  279.  See 
also  Antonie  Schurz  Jiissen. 
Schurz,  Carl,  mother,  1,  278,  453; 
early  education,  1-7;  at  Cologne, 
3,  6-7,  22-24,  108;  early  literary 
interests,  4-6,  8,  9-11,  13-16,  32, 
37-38;  at  University  of  Bonn,  20- 
22,  25-56,  108;  religious  ideas,  17- 
19;  aids  Kinkel  in  newspaper 
work,  52-55;  volunteers  for  mili- 
tary service,  55-58;  in  Palatine 
revolution,  64-66;  at  Rastatt,  58- 
67;  escape,  67;  refugee  in  Swit- 
zerland, 67,  86,  108;  desires  am- 
nesty, 76-80;  at  University  of  Zu- 
rich, 81;  plans  rescue  of  Kinkel, 
80-81,  84,  86,  140-142;  succeeds, 
90,  92-94;  in  Berlin,  87-90;  Edin- 
burgh, 96;  Paris,  96-104,  108; 
London,  106,  108,  116,  283;  affi- 
anced, 107;  decides  to  emigrate  to 
America,  108-112;  married,  113; 
illness,  115-116;  reaches  America, 
118;  early  impressions  of  Ameri- 
can politics,  119-120;  trip  to  the 
West  in  1854,  121-140;  visits 
Hecker,  127,  132,  135-137;  im- 
pressions of  Milwaukee,  139,  148; 
visits  relatives  at  Watertown,  139- 
140,  142-147,  413;  settles  at  Water- 
town,  147-149,  151-158,  413;  im- 
pressions of  Germans,  150;  sails 
for  Europe,  159,  417 ;  at  Montreux, 
Switzerland,  159-169;  returns  to 
Watertown,  169-171;  new  home, 
171-172,  174-176;  early  political 
activities  in  America,  173-174,  184- 
186 ;  notary  public,  172 ;  alderman, 
179;  defeated  for  lieutenant  gov- 
ernorship, 179-183;  law  partner, 
187;  Eastern  lecture  tours,  190- 
192,  204-205,  233-235,  238-239,  355, 
360;  "Truej  Americanism,"  187, 
191;  Douglas  speeches,  204,  220- 
222;  "American  Civilization,"  233; 
1859  political  speeches  in  Minne- 
sota, 192-202;  Wisconsin,  202-204; 
loses  nomination  for  governor, 
194;  challenges  Rothe,  202;  criti- 
cizes Randall,  205-206;  University 
regent,  187,  206,  207;  1860  politi- 
cal speeches  in  East,  211-213,  221- 
227;  in  West,  213-219,  227-231; 
1861  speeches,  247-249;  at  Milwau- 


INDEX 


489 


kee,  232;  relations  with  Lincoln, 
237,  240,  241,  243,  247,  269-270, 
308-309,  326,  340;  Seward,  242, 
250,  252,  253,  254;  Chase,  243;  at- 
titude toward  peace  conference, 
244-247,  249;  minister  to  Spain, 
252-267;  leave  of  absence,  269, 
285;  returns  to  America,  267;  in 
Civil  War,  272-338;  visited  by 
Mrs.  Schurz,  274-277;  major-gen- 
eral, 280,  285;  on  furlough,  281- 
282,  300;  observations  on  Army, 
287-288,  291-292,  294-295;  with 
Eleventh  Corps,  296;  Army  of  the 
Cumberland,  296-297;  Army  of 
Georgia,  327-333,  337;  relations 
with  Hooker,  299-300.  301;  sup- 
ports McClellan,  306-307;  aids  in 
recruiting  Veteran  Corps,  315- 
316,  318-319,  320,  324-325;  meets 
Mrs.  Lincoln,  326-327;  resigns 
commission,  335,  338;  relations 
with  Johnson,  335-337,  340,  391- 
393;  at  impeachment  trial,  432, 
434-435;  studies  post-war  South, 
341-354;  report,  354,  356-359; 
with  Detroit  Post,  357-358,  361- 
363,  366;  1866  political  activities, 
366-370;  Atlantic  Monthly  con- 
tributor, 239,  371;  1867  lecture 
tour,  372-374;  with  St.  Louis 
Westliche  Post,  373-374,  376-377, 
384,  419;  visits  Augusta,  Mo.,  379- 
383;  Brachvogels,  395-396;  Boone- 
ville,  Mo.,  400-404;  at  Sheridan 
demonstration,  393-395,  397;  visits 
Bismarck,  420-424,  426;  at  1868 
Republican  national  convention, 
436-437;  campaigns  for  Grant, 
438-450;  "Saturday  dinner,"  453- 
454;  attends  soldiers'  reunion,  456- 
458;  United  States  senatorship, 
viii,  443-444,  450-453,  455-456,  458- 
480;  civil  service  reform,  473-478; 
aids  Liberal  Republicans,  viii;  in 
Hayes's  cabinet,  viii;  character- 
izes Grant,  472,  475;  views  on 
spiritualism,  405-406 ;  Memorial 
Committee,  vii;  Reminiscences 
published,  vi;  Speeches,  etc.,  vii. 
Schurz,  Christian,  at  Rastatt,  71-72, 
74;  financial  difficulties,  101-102, 
112;  settles  at  Watertown,  143; 
moves  to  Monee,  111.,  386;  at  Chi- 
cago    convention,     438 ;     makes 


speech,  452-453;  characterized,  2; 
letters  to,  58,  67-85,  90,  96-104,  111, 
255,  258,  268,  269,  272,  278-281, 
297,  299,  301,  302,  362. 

Schurz,  Emma  Savannah,  birth,  314; 
death,  314,  376;  described,  319, 
324,  342. 

Schurz,  Margarethe  Meyer,  affianced, 
107;  married,  113;  illness,  115, 
163-164,  189,  300,  310,  314,  442, 
451,  455;  comes  to  America,  118; 
at  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  222,  281,  354; 
Montreux,  Switzerland,  164-169 ; 
Watertown,  169-172,  174-176,  207; 
Philadelphia,  280;  New  York,  295, 
302;  visits  camp,  274-277;  in  Eu- 
rope, 376,  387-391,  395,  404,  406, 
408,  410-412,  415-422,  427-428,  430; 
characterized,  110,  183,  319,  469; 
brothers,  107,  111;  letters,  xi,  274, 
334;  letters  to,  121-137,  142-159, 
176,  177,  186,  190-254,  314-317,  324- 
331,  335-337,  342-355,  356-357,  360, 
361,  363-365,  366-369,  372-374,  377- 
383,  385-416,  417,  427,  428,  430-434, 
436-443,  446-462,  464-470,  474-477. 

Schurz,  Marianna,  mentioned,  293, 
445 ;  aid  acknowledged,  v,  vii,  xi. 

Schurz,  Marianne,  illness,  278;  at 
Monee,  111.,  453;  letters,  1-2;  let- 
ters to,  58,  67-77,  90,  96-104,  111, 
255,  258,  268,  269,  272,  278-281, 
297,  299,  301,  302,  862. 

Schutz, ,  165,  177. 

Schwartz,  Ph.,  26,  27. 

Schwentzer, ,  29. 

Second  Army  Corps,  commander, 
316. 

Sell,  Professor ,  77. 

Seward,  William  H.,  in  Lincoln's 
cabinet,  250,  252,  253,  254;  John- 
son's, 336;  characterized,  242-243. 

Seymour,  Horatio,  441. 

Shakopee  (Minn.),  Schurz  visits, 
195-196. 

Sharkey,  Gen.  W.  L.,  opposition  to, 
350. 

Shaska  (Minn,),  described,  197. 

Sheboygan,  Schurz  visits,  203. 

Sheridan,  Gen.  Philip  H.,  army,  321 ; 
removal,  388,  390;  headquarters, 
392,  393;  at  SI.  Louis,  393-395; 
characterized,  395. 

Sherman,  Gen.  William  T.,  in  Civil 
War,  309,  320-322;  methods,  330- 


490 


INDEX 


331,  343,  346;  at  Atlanta,  346;  re- 
views troops,  333;  at  soldiers'  re- 
union, 457. 

Shields,  Sen.  James,  470. 

Sigel,  Gen.  Franz,  in  Civil  War,  272, 
275-277,  301;  on  leave,  280;  re- 
moved, 392. 

Slavery,  in  Tennessee,  292;  Schurz 
opposes,  174,  179,  265,  283-284, 
287-288;  Emancipation  Proclama- 
tion, 279;  abolished,  315. 

Sloan,  A.  Scott,  judicial  candidate, 
209. 

Slocum,  Gen.  Henry  W.,  335,  348- 
349,  350. 

Smith,  A.  D.,  judge,  206 ;  supporters, 
208-209. 

Smith,  Kirby,  336. 

South  Carolina,  post-war  conditions, 
342-344. 

Spain,  Schurz  in,  256-266;  described, 
263-264. 

Speltz,  ,  26,  27,  35-36. 

Spraul,  Captain  ,  276. 

Stahl,  Gustav,  70. 

Stanton,  Edwin  M.,  confers  with 
Schurz,  314;  in  Johnson's  cabinet, 
388,  390,  392. 

Steedman,  Gen.  James  B.,  Schurz 
visits,  346. 

Sterken,  "Freshie,"  43. 

Stewart,  A.  T.,  471. 

Stillwater  (Minn.),  Schurz  visits, 
201. 

Stockhausen,  ,  421. 

Streiker, ,  44. 

Strodtmann,  Adolph,  visits  Schurz, 
71,  74,  82;  expelled,  85. 

Sulzbach,  W.,  publisher,  69-70. 

Sumner,  Sen.  Charles,  311,  354,  358- 
359;  brother,  191 

Sumner,  George,  191. 

Switzerland,  Schurz's  refuge,  67-86; 
visited,  159-169,  389-390,  406,  408. 

Techow,  Colonel ,  98,  165,  177. 

Temperance.     See  Prohibition. 

Tendering, ,  44. 

Thieme, ,  211. 

Thomas,  Gen.  George  H.,  investi- 
gates charges  against  Schurz,  299- 
300 ;  army,  321 ;  private  coach, 
346;  at  soldiers'  reunion,  457. 

Tiedemann,  Fritz,  in  Civil  War,  273, 
275-276. 


Tiedemann,  Mrs.  Fritz,  visits  camp, 
275-277. 

Tiedemann,  Dr.  Henry,  196,  212,  360. 

Toberentz  sisters,  421. 

Tweedy,  John  H.,  Milwaukee  resi- 
dent, 227. 

Twelfth  Army  Corps,  in  Civil  War, 
301. 

Twentieth  Army  Corps,  commander, 
332. 

Uxgar,  ,  77. 

United  States  Congress,  Forty-first, 
469-476. 

Vexeday, ,  79. 

Veteran  Corps,  recruited,  318,  320, 

324-325. 

Vosen,  ,  9,  24. 

Voss,  Charlotte,  160,  162,  164.     See 

also  Charlotte  Althaus. 

Wacoxia  (Minn.),  Schurz  visits,  196. 

Wade,  Sen.  Benjamin,  437. 

Wagner,  ,  378. 

Wagner,  August,  49. 

Washburne,  Elihu  B.,  supports 
Schurz,  460. 

Washington  (D.  C),  in  Civil  War, 
254;  peace  conference,  244-247, 
249. 

Watertown,  land  near,  149-150; 
Schurz  visits,  139,  146-147;  buys 
land,  152-158,  413-414;  home,  x, 
171-172,  174-176;  county  seat,  170; 
railroad  center,  170,  172;  growth, 
170;  Wide- Awakes,  228-229;  Dem- 
ocrats, 303. 

Watertown  Weltbiirger,  opposes 
Schurz,  225. 

Weber,  Carl  Otto,  36. 

Weise,  Ludwig  von,  at  Bonn,  25,  26, 
28,  29,  44;  member  of  Franconia, 
30;  at  Cologne,  39,  41;  Berlin,  55. 

Wells,  Gov.  ,  at  New  Orleans, 

350. 

Werlich  brothers,  182. 

Wermerskirch,  ,  276. 

Wesendonk,  ,  171,  375. 

Wessel,  ,  64. 

Westendarp,  Willy,  in  Civil  War, 
273,  276. 

Wide-Awakes,  in  1860  campaign, 
213-214,  218;  at  Milwaukee,  227; 
Watertown,  228-229. 


INDEX 


491 


Wilkinson,   Morton   S.,    199-200. 

Willich,  August  von,  118-119. 

Wilson,  Sen.  Henry,  238. 

Wilson,  Gen.  James  H.,  348. 

Winterschladen  brothers,  3. 

Wisconsin,  land,  146-150;  immigra- 
tion, 139;  roads,  139;  railroads, 
142-143,  170,  172,  192;  Germans, 
150-151,  412;  Schurz's  relatives  in, 
110,  137,  139-140;  Schurz  visits, 
138-140,  142-143;  settles  in,  149;  in 
election  of  1857,  179-184;  1860, 
229-230,  232;  1867,  412,  414;  gov- 


ernorship, 194,  244-245,  412;  legis- 
lature, 205-206,  246-247,  249;  chief 
justiceship,  206,  208-209;  Demo- 
crats, 207,  303,  412;  Republicans, 
210;  Wide- Awakes,  227-229;  in 
Civil  War,  253,  317. 

Wisconsin  University,  chancellor, 
206,  211,  213;  regents,  206,  207. 

Wright,  F.,  Indiana  governor,  124. 

Ziemesen,  ,  44. 

Zurich  (Switzerland),  Schurz  at,  71- 
86. 


